PART II: STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS OF THE PREVIOUS REPORT 27. Following the submission and presentation of the Rwanda’s 9 th and 10th periodic report, a number of general comments were made on various issues. Rwanda has endeavoured a detailed response on each observation and recommendation as given by the Commission during the previous review. (a) The indigenous peoples in Rwanda 28. After the 1994 genocide, Rwanda undertook an initiative to consolidate its national unity and prevent ethnic conflicts as had happened in the past. The post-conflict government adopted a new policy according to which there is only one united Rwandan community composed of all Rwandans (Banyarwanda). The former distinction of groups into Bahutu, Batutsi and Batwa was largely seen to be divisive and unproductive to Rwandans. 29. Furthermore, the Government of Rwanda does not consider any group of Rwandans as a distinct indigenous people. However, the Government recognises the particular situation of some vulnerable populations under the category of “historically marginalised populations” and, to that end; it has adopted a series of measures to improve their living conditions, as well as integrating them into mainstream Rwandan society.2 (b) Divisionism and genocide ideology 30. Rwanda has embarked on a massive fight against the ideology of genocide and divisionism. It is our understanding that Rwandans know genocide better than anyone else and therefore have every legitimate responsibility to prevent its reoccurrence by all means. Rwanda recognises such need to part from anything that would draw the country into such nightmare and as a result, legislative, institutional, policy and administrative measures have been taken. An organic law instituting the penal code has been passed which criminalises genocide ideology in its articles 135 and 136. 31. The definition of genocide ideology is provided for by the Law No 84/2013 of 11/09/2013 on crime of genocide ideology and related offences with their respective sanctions ranging from prison sentences to fine. Statistics from the See the 9th &10th periodic report of the republic of Rwanda, (n 3 above). See also ACHPR and IWGIA, Report of the African commission’s working group on indigenous populations/communities: mission to the Republic of Rwanda, 1-5 December 2008. 2 Page 15 of 105

Select target paragraph3