UN General Assembly marks 29 years since Rwanda genocide against Tutsi

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - UN General Assembly on Friday marked the 29th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which is considered one of the greatest atrocities in recent human history, occurring in 1994.

A minute of silence was held in honor of the victims of the genocide and survivors on the occasion of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

In his remarks, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the hate and propaganda that paved the path to genocide was broadcast on TV, printed in newspapers, and blasted over the radio.

"We remember – with shame – the failure of the international community. The failure to listen – and the failure to act," said the UN chief.

Guterres stressed that preventing genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other serious violations of international law is a "shared responsibility".

"Today, I call on all Member States to become parties to the Genocide Convention without delay. And I call on all States to back their commitments with action,” he said, calling on them to “stand firm against rising intolerance".

UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi, for his part, said that the world was "silent" when the genocide was carried out.

"We were silent, despite repeated and unmistakably early warnings about the preparations of genocide, despite the individual heroes who tried to stop the killings, despite the presence of the UN Assistance Mission for one year before and during the bloodshed and despite the General Assembly's unanimous adaptation of the Genocide Convention in 1948, which defines genocides as a crime under international law," he said.

April 7 was designated as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda by the UN General Assembly in 2018. The session at the UN was postponed to April 14 this year due to a public holiday.

An estimated 800,000 people were killed in 100 days due to the Rwandan genocide.