TPIR Convicts in Sébikotane Prison: Negationism Spreads in Senegal

• Convicted Rwandan genocide perpetrators in Senegal's Sébikotane prison are actively engaged in negationist activities.
• A 2010 agreement between Senegal and the UN allows the country to host these International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda prisoners.
• Historian Juliette Bour found a significant lack of local knowledge about the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which killed nearly one million people.
• The prison library predominantly contains books promoting genocide denial and narratives favorable to the prisoners' perspective.
• High-profile inmates like Pauline Nyiramasuhuko and Mathieu Ngirumpatse actively promote their revisionist views to prison staff.

The persistence of such narratives, even within the confines of a correctional facility, underscores the profound challenges in confronting historical revisionism, particularly when propagated by those convicted of the gravest crimes.

Convicted perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide, sentenced by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (TPIR), are currently serving their sentences in Sébikotane prison, located approximately 50 kilometers from Dakar, Senegal. This arrangement stems from a convention signed on November 22, 2010, between Senegal and the United Nations, which allowed the West African nation to host these prisoners due to the TPIR's lack of its own dedicated correctional facility. Within this setting, a concerning pattern of Rwandan genocide denial in Senegal has been observed, particularly among the TPIR convicts at Sébikotane prison.

Historian Juliette Bour, whose research is detailed in an excerpt from her book "Comme des hommes?" published on October 9 by Afrique XXI, highlights a significant lack of local understanding regarding the 1994 Rwandan genocide. This historical event, which claimed nearly one million lives between April and July of that year, remains largely unknown to many in Senegal. This informational vacuum creates a fertile ground for the convicted individuals to propagate their revisionist narratives, exploiting the general unfamiliarity with the atrocities for which they were found guilty.

The isolation experienced by these International Criminal Tribunal Rwanda prisoners is not only geographical but also linguistic and cultural. Communication between the Rwandan inmates and Senegalese staff is often mediated by young detainees from a local correctional facility, many of whom do not speak French, while the Rwandans possess only rudimentary Wolof skills. This barrier further limits the exchange of accurate historical information and allows the prisoners to control the narrative presented to their immediate environment.

A dedicated library within the TPIR section of the prison serves as a key tool for this negationism. According to Juliette Bour, this collection consists almost entirely of books promoting genocide denial or focusing on alleged crimes committed by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). These materials include works by established negationist authors alongside more recent publications. The prisoners, including prominent figures like Pauline Nyiramasuhuko in Senegal prison and Mathieu Ngirumpatse in Sébikotane, selectively engage with literature that justifies their actions and deliberately obscures the unique nature of the crime of genocide, effectively reinforcing their self-serving interpretations of history.

The convicted individuals actively leverage this environment to present themselves as innocent political prisoners. They consistently advocate their cause to prison officials, including the current director, Khadidiatou Ndoye, and even lend her their revisionist texts. Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, for instance, routinely challenges Senegalese journalists who commend Rwanda's development. Similarly, Mathieu Ngirumpatse recommended a negationist plea to Director Ndoye. While she reportedly found humor in the attempt to sway her, her review of their case files led her to conclude, "They are not as innocent as they say," indicating a clear understanding of their true culpability, even as her primary focus remains maintaining peace within the facility.

Even the initial director, Inspector Idrissa Sow, had to educate himself on the genocide upon learning he would receive the convicts, underscoring the widespread lack of knowledge. The persistence of such narratives, even within the confines of a correctional facility, underscores the profound challenges in confronting historical revisionism, particularly when propagated by those convicted of the gravest crimes. This situation highlights the ongoing struggle against genocide denial and the need for vigilance, even in seemingly secure environments, to prevent the distortion of historical facts.

This report highlights the ongoing challenge of combating genocide denial by convicted international criminals, even within custodial settings. Lawyers in international criminal law or human rights should be aware of the potential for such narratives to persist and influence public perception, posing reputational risks for host nations and complicating post-conflict justice efforts.

Source: Original reporting via Afrique XXI