- Rwandan authorities have agreed to discuss the suspension of the BBC Kinyarwanda programming with the broadcasters authorities if it accepts proposed changes to its editorial line.
The Rwandan government banned the broadcaster late April for allegedly being bias and airing programmes that are devastating the country's efforts for reconstruction and reconciliation.
Information Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said government will not allow media to downplay the Tutsi mass killings in the name of press freedom, saying the broadcaster was inciting hatred among the two main ethnic groups.
“The BBC requested to come for discussions on the matter but this does not suggest that will be arguing over meanings of words in Kinyarwanda and English,” minister Mushikiwabo told local reporters.
However, the BBC executives said that though they do not speak Kinyarwanda, they do not believe the Gahuzamiryango programme in question did contain any elements of hate or denying the genocide.
The BBC signal went off five minutes prior to the first broadcast at 07hrs00 on 25 April when the regular one-hour Saturday Imvon’imvano programme was to start. However, the normal BBC programming returned after 08hrs00. It again went off as the re-broadcast was to start at 10hrs00.
A government ban also remains standing against officials giving any interviews to the Kinyarwanda programme, as well as a similar one on Voice of America.
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