Rwanda Church Apology Over Genocide 'Inadequate'

The Rwandan government wants a "honest" apology from the Vatican. AFP

The government in Rwanda has branded as inadequate the apology recently issued by the Catholic Church in the country over the 1994 genocide in which at least 800,000 people were killed, the AFP news agency reports. 

BBC Africa Live report continues:

Many Catholic priests and members of the church were put on trial both in Rwanda and at the UN special tribunal in Arusha for their roles in the slaughter. 

An apology letter signed by Rwandan bishops was circulated last Sunday.

Bishop Philippe Rukamba, chair of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Rwanda, later clarified that the apology was in the name of individuals and not the church, saying the church as an institution had played no role in the genocide. 

This prompted the Rwandan government to reply:  

"In view of the scale of the crimes committed, an apology from the Vatican would be justified."

The government added that the bishops' letter highlighted an unwillingness from the Catholic Church to honestly recognize its moral and legal responsibilities with regard to the genocide.