The major highlight of the event was a testimony by Josephine Murebwayire, a 64-year-old widow who lost all her six children, a husband and two brothers during the 1994 massacres.
“On the night of 6th April 1994 when the plane that was carrying President Habyarimana was shot down, two soldiers and two Interahamwe came to our home. They demanded for money and before they left, they said that those coming to finish us were on their way,” she said.
On 7th of April, Murebwayire and her family sought refuge at Ndera Seminary school and this is where almost all her family perished.
“On 11th of April 1994, hundreds of Interahamwe militias descended on us butchering us aimlessly, all my six children, my husband and two brothers died on spot. As I was socked in a pool of blood with wounds all over my head, killers left me thinking that I was dead. A few days later, RPF soldiers came to my rescue, took me to their base in Byumba for protection and treatment,” Murebwayire recalls.
Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Kenya Ambassador James Kimonyo thanked United Nations for recognizing what happened in Rwanda in 1994 as genocide against a particular group.
“I take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the United Nations General Assembly for finally adopting resolution recognizing that what happened in Rwanda between April 7th and July 1994 was Genocide against the Tutsi,” he expressed.
The envoy challenged members of diplomatic corps to act more swiftly in fighting against genocide denial and bring perpetrators to book.
“Many perpetrators who committed this heinous crime in Rwanda are still at large in your respective countries. Rwanda has done its part by sending the indictments to different countries seeking their extradition. If we are really serious about our collective pledge of fighting the culture of impunity, I humbly call on you to support us in making these individuals face justice by either extraditing them to Rwanda or at least take them through domestic prosecution though we would prefer the trials to take place in Rwanda where crimes were committed,” he said.
“I would like also to mention the issue of trivialization and denial of genocide. I know many European countries have enacted stringent laws to fight holocaust denial. Without comparing the magnitudes of the two crimes, we call upon these countries to enact same laws to fight the denial of other genocides including the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda,” Kimonyo added.
Speaking at the event, Kenya’s Amb. Macharia Kamau, Principal Secretary in the ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade who was also chief guest lauded Rwandans for their fortitude and resilience after the tragedy that befell the country 24 years ago.
“On this day of remembrance, Kenya joins People of Rwanda to honour the memory of the victims who perished in the genocide, and, salute people of Rwanda especially the survivors for their tremendous courage and resilience in their unyielding journey of healing, reconciliation and national recovery. We laud Rwanda’s astute leadership and resolute political will which has been at the centre of the transformed governance and socio-economic fabric of the Rwandan Society,” Macharia said.
The event was characterized by testimony, songs and poems.
Leave a Reply