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The Republic of Rwanda has called for unity in the country, warning against igniting hatred to prevent a recurrence of the genocide attack it experienced 30 years ago.
The Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Christophe Bazivamo, stated this in Abuja during the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
At the event whose theme was: 'Remember – Unite – Renew,'
Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, conveyed the condolences of the Nigerian government to the survivors of the genocide.
“Genocide should not be allowed to raise its head ever again,” said
Tuggar.
Bazivamo recalled that the1994 genocide was a mass slaughter orchestrated by Hutu extremists against the Tutsi minority and it lasted over 100 bloody days.
"More than a million men, women and children, mainly ethnic Tutsis but also moderate Hutus, were killed in the murderous onslaught that saw families and friends turn against each other in one of the darkest episodes of the late 20th century.
Three decades on, the tiny landlocked nation has rebuilt under the rule of President Paul Kagame, but the traumatic legacy of the genocide lingers, reverberating across the region.
Bazivamo stated that the path to lasting peace demanded constant vigilance, adding that “As we renew, we restate our unbreakable pledge to fight intolerance, discrimination, ethnic hatred, hate speeches, genocide revisionism, and denial in all their forms.
“Unfortunately, this is happening today just beyond Rwanda’s borders in the Great Lakes region. We should never allow the embers of hatred to reignite.”
The High Commissioner further stated, “On this Kwibuka 30, together, we can ensure that the memory of the victims becomes a powerful force for good, inspiring future generations to choose peace over hate, unity over division, and hope over despair.”
