Eight books have so far been published in French under the “Rwanda, writing to remember” project which was started after a visit to Rwanda in 1998 by ten African writers and film makers. They chose fiction “deliberately” as the vehicle to promote African literature. The aim of Rwanda’s project was to break the silence of African intellectuals on the genocide. According to Nocky Djedanoum who initiated the project, genocide in Rwanda did not start on 7 April, 1994, with the downing of the former president Juvenal Habyrimana’s plane. It had been going on since 1959, he said. He said that the 1998 visit to Rwanda was the first for the non-Rwandese writers and film makers and a “horrible experience”. He said it was the writers’ duty to inform Africa and the world about the Rwandan tragedy and the fierce fight of these people to escape this situation. He said he hoped the eight books would be translated into English. Djedanoun was speaking in Harare where they were attending the Zimbabwe International Boo Fair which ended on Monday.
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