Rwandan envoy: Genocide was product of ignored intolerance
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, First Lady Jeanette Kagame and other guests during the commemoration of the 1994 genocide at the BK arena in Kigali, Rwanda April 7, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Rwanda is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the genocide.
- Commemoration will last for 100 days, representing the duration of the genocide.
The government of Rwanda has said societies should watch out for ‘ignored’ intolerance between people of different backgrounds if the world can prevent future genocides.
From the calamity of 30 years ago, the Rwandan government says it learnt a bitter lesson after successive authorities ignored entrenched intolerance.
Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Kenya Martin Ngoga told an audience on Tuesday that the 1994 genocide should serve as a powerful reminder to confront hatred, discrimination, and division wherever it may arise.
“Genocide is not an isolated event but a consequence of a society that has allowed prejudice and intolerance to take root,” he told an audience of diplomats, Rwandan in diaspora, and government officials in Nairobi at a ceremony to mark 30 years of Genocide against the Tutsi.
“We must ensure that the lessons of the past are never forgotten. We must strive to create a world where diversity is celebrated, where differences are respected, and where all individuals can live free from fear and discrimination,” Ngoga said.
This month, Rwanda is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the genocide, a tragic piece of history in that country when at least a million people were killed within 100 days.
It took the Rwanda Patriotic Front, then led by Paul Kagame, to stop the massacres blamed on the then-Hutu-dominated army.
Yet Rwanda feels there is still something simmering in the background which could bring future danger.
Ngoga said Rwanda’s allies and the international community in general should continue fighting perpetrators including bring to justice the perpetrators of 1994 atrocities.
“Genocide deniers, including several academics, continue to perpetuate negations by conveniently ignoring the judgements of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Negations can in no way be accepted as a tolerable opinion or a legitimate right. Genocide denial is a crime, and therefore must be fought by all means,” Ngoga said.
He was referring to the Arusha-based tribunal that tried some of the suspects before folding in 2016.
The tribunal indicted some 96 people directly involved in the planning, funding or execution of the genocide.
Many other suspects were tried in local Gacaca courts in Rwanda.
“Perpetrators and deniers of the Genocide against the Tutsi continue to move freely in many parts of the world, spreading hate ideology and misinformation on the facts surrounding the genocide against the Tutsi.
"This commemoration is therefore a collective plea to members of the international community to ensure the arrest of genocide perpetrators and to deny platforms to the deniers of the genocide against the Tutsi,” Ngoga said.
On 26 January 2018, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution designating the 7th of April of each year as the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994.
In Rwanda, the commemoration period lasts for 100 days, which represents the duration of the genocide in 1994.
At the ceremony in Nairobi, held at the UN headquarters in Gigiri, Kenya lauded the strides made by Rwanda after experiencing one of the horrific genocides of the 20th century, pledging Nairobi’s continued cooperation for mutual prosperity.
Dr Korir Sing’oei, the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs said Kenya stands in solidarity with Rwanda and her people, and that his country draws inspiration from how Kigali was able to rebuild and overcome its tragic past.
"We are inspired by Rwanda's determination to forge ahead with an unwavering resolve. Present-day Rwanda serves as a distinct mirror of progress, a nation founded on a united vision for the future anchored in economic and structural reforms,” he said.
“We stand in respect and admiration of the survivors who despite their circumstances have worked tirelessly to rebuild Rwanda as we know it today. Their resolve, resilience, strength, courage and fortitude are an inspiration to humanity.”
Sing’oei also noted that the Genocide against the Tutsi serves as a reminder to protect the inherent human rights to life and dignity.
“We must never forget that the genocide against the Tutsi happened partly because the international community could not master the resolve to act in a preventative fashion to halt an imminent atrocity," he said.
