An Ordinary Man

A new radio station—Television Libre des Mille Collines, or RTLM—is an immediate success, as it starts playing popular music that appeals to the masses. RTLM also gives less-than-complimentary reviews of Rwanda’s vicious dictator, President Juvénal Habyarimana, convincing the public that it has an independent voice. This station, however, also starts broadcasting hate propaganda against Tutsis.

Paul does not believe that the genocide in Rwanda is a product of tribal hatred. The real cause is the insecurity of Hutu leaders and their thirst for more and more control: “Make no mistake: There was a method to the madness. And it was about power” (53). Hutus in power are also driven by paranoia that the Tutsis forced to flee years earlier would invade Rwanda in retaliation with the newly organized Rwandan Patriotic Front (or RPF), a Tutsi paramilitary organization.

The Hutu government becomes an increasingly authoritarian and repressive. When Paul refuses to wear President Juvénal Habyarimana’s badge on his suit jacket, government thugs harass him, making him report to the executive office every day. His friends advise him not to risk his job or his family’s welfare. However, wearing the president’s image would be a blow to Paul’s sense of self-worth, so he never gives in.