Makuza was speaking Friday while closing the commemoration week at Rebero Genocide Memorial in Kigali where slain politicians are laid to rest.
He said that Rwandans have committed commemoration period as time to re-dignify victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi who had been ridiculed and brutality killed.
“Every day, we should use this time to challenge ourselves, remind one another and reflect on the reason that caused this to happen,” he said.
He reminded that commemoration activities continue in 100 days from different parts of the country. He said that commemorating is a Rwandan culture that has been there from the past.
“Our ancestors believed that when a person is dead does not that they are completely gone. Rwandans used to commemorate their family members and at the events they used to practice rituals which aimed at showing the deceased that families still love, honor and value them,” he said.
Makuza said that commemoration shows the value and right a human being has had in Rwandan society.
For the genocide against the Tutsi, Makuza said is a special programme coming from the recent bad history of the country, a history which he said was caused by bad politics.
“The politics of divisionism and hatred led us to the genocide against the Tutsi and ruined Rwandan community starting from survivors and other consequences caused,” he added.
In a way to generate solutions to problems, Makuza said that the country chose to ‘remember-unite and renew’.
Makuza said that the genocide against the Tutsi did not happen by accident; he said it was prepared and happened due to bad politics and leadership.
Speaking about slain politicians, Makuza said that if the country had had many politicians which similar spirit, the genocide would never have happened nor had such severity.
“The honor we owe these politicians we commemorate today is to embrace their heritage and assume the responsibilities to avoid any divisionism but uphold unity of Rwandans,” he said.
“Commemorating politicians laid to rest in this memorial site reminds us to borrow a leaf from them as all Rwandans, politicians and leaders from different categories,” he added.
Twelve politicians and over 14,000 more victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi are laid to rest there at Rebero Genocide Memorial Center.
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