Rwanda Calls for Global Reflection on 1994 Genocide

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Rwanda has called on the rest of the world to learn from the tragic experiences of Rwanda 1994 Genocide and ensure that the event never again occurred.

A statement, which was released yesterday by Rwanda High Commission in Nigeria to commemorate the genocide, reads: “As Rwanda reflects on Kwibuka 28, the rest of the world is invited to learn from the tragic experiences to ensure that there is no repetition of events of this kind.”

The statement signed by the Commission’s Communications Officer, Ms. Maureen Chukwura, read in part: “Today, April 7, 2022, marks 28 years since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The tragic event occurred between April 7 and July 15, 1994, for about 100 days of intentional and systematic mass killings, culminating in more than one million Tutsis, as well as politically moderate Hutus being murdered.

“The commemoration period, called ‘Kwibuka’ – the Kinyarwanda word for Remembrance – is a time Rwandans pay homage to the victims and reflects on Rwanda’s progress after the genocide.

‘With that said, the history of Rwanda symbolises both the worst and the best in Africa, in the sense that it has demonstrated the dangers of ethnic discrimination, politics of divisionism, and impunity; as well as taught us the power of resilience to heal and rebuild a stronger and more sustainable society.

“The theme for this year’s observance, as has been the case since 2018, is ‘Remember – Unite – Renew.’ The focus on ‘Remember’ is because all those whose lives were lost during one of the darkest points in human history must be remembered. The emphasis on ‘Unity’ demonstrates the rebirth of a new Rwanda, united and reconciled out of the desolation of the Genocide. Finally, the stress on ‘Renew’ denotes commitment as a people to sustain the socio-economic strides post-1994.”

The statement said that history would fail to serve as a lesson for the world if there is no collaboration from the international community to stop the genocide ideology, denial, revisionism, and dispense justice to genocide perpetrators.

The statement recalled the Kwibuka speech of President Paul Kagame in 2021, acknowledging Nigeria’s contribution towards stopping the genocide through Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the current Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari. In 1994, when as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Security Council, Gambari fervently argued that what was happening in Rwanda at the time was indeed a “genocide” and called for prompt action.

The statement said: “The history of Rwanda teaches us an essential lesson. The capacity for the deepest evils abides in every society, so to the qualities of tolerance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Let us then collectively nurture the positive hallmarks of our common humanity to help build a life of dignity and security for all.”