Africa remembers Rwandan genocide with vow to never repeat

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) – The horrors witnessed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide must never be repeated anywhere in the world, African officials said on Thursday, marking 28 years since one of the world’s bloodiest atrocities.

Around 1 million people, mostly from the Tutsi community and moderate Hutus, were killed by Hutu extremists in a span of about 100 days in Rwanda starting from April 1994.

April 7 is marked worldwide as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide.

“What happened in Rwanda was the result of a failure of political systems … and seclusion,” Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of the African Union Commission, said at an event at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

He hailed Rwanda for its “spectacular” reconstruction and reconciliation efforts over the past almost three decades.

“As Africans, we should come together as one to commemorate one of our continent’s darkest days,” said Hope Tumukunde Gasatura, Rwanda’s permanent envoy to the AU.

“Rwanda’s rebirth is a reminder that as Africans, we can build lasting peace and prosperity, even from the most desperate of situations … Rwanda’s example can serve as a beacon of hope for any country which has suffered in similar ways to Rwanda – that tomorrow is a new day, that a new dawn of prosperity and peace is possible, when guided by a powerful and proud vision of equality, reconciliation and national unity.”

She stressed the dire need for actions to ensure that the atrocities seen in Rwanda are never repeated.

“The phrase ‘Never Again’ is an enduring phrase which has echoed around the world in response to genocide – from the Holocaust, to Bosnia, to Cambodia, to Rwanda. Yet time and again, those words have not been translated into action,” said Gasatura.

“Those of us here today, who proudly represent our own African nations in this esteemed forum, are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that ‘Never Again’ is a spirit of action – not just a platitude.”

The event in Addis Ababa was attended by top AU officials and representatives of UN agencies and civil society groups, along with religious leaders and people from different walks of life.

The AU Commission and Rwanda’s mission to the AU have jointly organized a 100-day commemoration under the theme of “Remember, Unite, Renew,” with events scheduled to be held from April 7 to July 3.