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the 1991 census had recorded 7 million Rwandans. But opponents of the vasectomy pro-


gramme who do not accept the new census figure, argue that the country’s recent his- tory is marked by genocidal killings that, according to official figures quoted world- wide, took one million lives in 1994 and led to millions more deaths in the following years, as detailed in a UN report released in October last year. Additionally, the UNHCR reports


that one million more Rwandans still live in refugee camps across the country’s borders, while another one million or so are scattered in the diaspora. Tus, they say the country cannot have 11 million


people living inside it as the official figure says. In fact, the current government’s view


is the same as that of previous govern- ments who said the “tiny” country was so overpopulated that there was no room for Rwandan refugees abroad to return. It may be true that Rwanda is overpopulated but it does have one of the world’s worst mor- tality rates. Moreover, the reality is that the 700,000 “volunteers” will come from the poorest strands of society, a thought that frightens many activists who say the majority Hutu ethnic group might be the major target of the new sterilisation policy. Ultimately Rwanda will have to learn


from the experience of other countries in this field. History is filled with unpop- ular and tragic examples of compulsory vasectomies: from the Nazi eugenics programme’s 400,000 victims, to forced castrations in India, to Brazil’s free vasec- tomy service. So far, the most efficient birth control


policies worldwide have been those focused on women’s and girls’ education. Because once women are educated, they take full charge of their reproductive health. For Rwanda, the best policy would be to empower the population through making sure that they are a force in the social, economic and political life of the country.


New African June 2011 | 85


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