Rwanda is celebrating the 29th anniversary of the 1994 genocide of the Tutsis.
This morning, as every year, a solemn ceremony was organized at the Gisozi National Monument in Kigali, marking the beginning of the 100 Days of Remembrance.
“Thank you all for not letting this tragic story define you,” said President Paul Kagame, speaking at the event.
Ahead of April 7, the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Tutsi Genocide in Rwanda, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide pointed out that history shows that hate speech is a precursor to the perpetration of heinous crimes as it happened in the Holocaust and genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda. So it should be avoided.
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“Today, we gather to honor the continued sacrifice of survivors and remember all those we lost during the genocide against the Tutsi.”
“We cannot, however, ignore the fact that things like violence and hate speech persist. Not so far away from here.” said Paul Kagamé, President of Rwanda.
At the same time, France will erect a memorial to the victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, it said on Friday, as Kigali celebrates 29 years since the massacre.
This announcement comes after President Emmanuel Macron admitted in 2021 that his country was responsible for the deaths of 800,000 people, mostly Rwandan Tutsis, between April and July 1994.
