Rwanda Genocide: President urges survivors to continue forgiving

25th Anniversary Commemoration (Credit: CISA)

The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, has led his country in commemorating 25 years of the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi. The annual commemoration is known locally as Kwibuka, which means 'to remember'. Around 800,000 people were slaughtered in 100 days of violence from 7 April to 15 July 1994.

Survivors have a responsibility of healing the nation

President Kagame said: "Someone once asked me why we keep burdening survivors with the responsibility for our healing. It was a painful question, but I realised the answer was obvious. Survivors are the only ones with something left to give: their forgiveness."

He was speaking to Rwandans and visiting heads of state in Kigali last Sunday for Kwibuka. The President inaugurated a week of national mourning in remembrance of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He also thanked Rwandans and friends of Rwanda for their contribution towards the rebuilding of the country.

Sisters became mothers. Strangers became friends

The President added: "Today, light radiates from this place. How did it happen? Rwanda became a family once again. The arms of our people, intertwined, constitute the pillars of our nation. We hold each other up. Our bodies and minds bear amputations and scars, but none of us is alone. Together, we have woven the tattered threads of our unity into a new tapestry. Sisters became mothers. Neighbours became uncles. Strangers became friends. Our culture naturally creates new bonds of solidarity, which both console and renew".

A story of profound hope

The President also told his audience that the story of the Genocide is one of profound hope. "In the end, the only conclusion to draw from Rwanda's story is profound hope for our world. No community is beyond repair, and the dignity of a people is never fully extinguished. Twenty-five years later, here we are. All of us. Wounded and heartbroken, yes. But unvanquished."

Sixty percent of Rwandans born after the Genocide

The President nevertheless observed that about sixty percent of the population comprises young people who know about the Genocide from stories told to them. He urged them to shoulder the responsibility of building a better Rwanda. President Kagame and the First Lady also lit the flame of remembrance at the Genocide Memorial in Kigale where 250,000 victims of the genocide are buried.

The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution designating 7 April as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.