Rwanda has urged people all throughout the world to learn from the horrific events of the Rwandan Genocide of 1994 and guarantee that it never happens again.
“As Rwanda reflects on Kwibuka28, the rest of the world is asked to learn from the painful lessons to ensure that such occurrences do not repeat again,” the Rwanda High Commission in Nigeria said in a statement on Thursday.
“Today, 7th April 2022, marks 28 years since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda,” said the statement signed by the Commission’s Communications Officer, Maureen Chukwura.
The sad incident occurred between April 7th and July 15th, 1994, spanning nearly 100 days of planned and systematic mass executions that resulted in the deaths of about one million Tutsis as well as politically moderate Hutus.
“The memorial period, known as “Kwibuka” (Kinyarwanda meaning Remembrance), is a time when Rwandans pay tribute to the victims and reflect on the country’s progress since the Genocide.
With that stated, Rwanda’s past represents both the worst and the best of African history, in that it has exhibited the risks of ethnic discrimination, divisionist politics, and impunity, as well as the power of resilience to heal and create a stronger and more sustainable society.”
“The theme for this year’s commemoration, as it has been since 2018, is “Remember – Unite – Renew,” according to the statement. All those whose lives were lost during one of the darkest periods in human history must be remembered, therefore the emphasis on ‘Remember.’ The emphasis on “Unity” symbolizes the emergence of a new Rwanda, one that is united and reconciled in the aftermath of the Genocide. Finally, the emphasis on “Renew” shows a people’s determination to maintain socioeconomic progress after 1994.”
According to the statement, history will fail to serve as a lesson to the world if the international community does not work together to combat genocide ideology, denial, and revisionism, as well as bring genocide offenders to justice.
The message referred to President Paul Kagame’s Kwibuka speech from 2021, in which he acknowledged Nigeria’s role in ending the Genocide through Professor Ibrahim Gambari, President Muhammadu Buhari’s current Chief of Staff. When he was Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Security Council in 1994, he adamantly contended that what was happening in Rwanda at the time was “Genocide” and demanded immediate intervention.
“The past of Rwanda offers us an important lesson,” the statement stated. Every culture has the ability for the most heinous crimes, as do the virtues of tolerance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Let us then work together to foster the positive aspects of our shared humanity in order to assist everyone live a life of dignity and security.”
