Zim joins rest of world in commemorating Rwanda ge...

Zim joins rest of world in commemorating Rwanda genocide day

Remembering the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda 27 years later | Africa Renewal

Zim Now Writer

Zimbabwe has said it will join the rest of the world in commemorating the 29th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide which occurred between April7-July 15 1994 during the Rwandan civil war.

Zimbabwe will be part of the commemorations at the Embassy of Rwanda in Harare running under the theme ‘Remember-Unite-Renew’.

The Rwandan Embassy in Zimbabwe in a statement said during the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, over one million men, women and children were killed.

United Nations Secretary-General, Mr António Guterres, said the UN recognises the 7th of April as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

“On this International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, we mourn the more than 1 million children, women, and men who perished in 100 days of horror 29 years ago.

“A generation since the genocide, we must never forget what happened — and ensure future generations always remember. How easily hate speech — a key indicator of the risk of genocide — turns to hate crime. How complacency in the face of atrocity is complicity,” he said.

Mr Guterres said it is a core duty of every member of the United Nations to stand firm against rising intolerance.

“Let us be ever vigilant — and always be ready to act. And let us truly honour the memory of all Rwandans who perished by building a future of dignity, security, justice, and human rights for all,” he said.

The African Union said the objectives of this annual commemoration of the Rwanda genocide includes to remember the atrocities brought by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

“Unite together in our fight against the crime of genocide, genocide ideology as well as genocide denial, to collectively commit to justice and the fight against impunity; and to renew the commitment to fight against genocide, hate speech, and other crimes against humanity,” read the statement.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame will preside over the main commemoration to be held in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.