Speaking during the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi on Monday, April 7, Kagame reminded the nation that despite the weight of a painful past and the cruelty of current misrepresentations, Rwanda must hold its head high.<\/p>\n
He emphasised that Rwanda\u2019s survival hinges on its people\u2019s refusal to be crushed by historical trauma and ongoing external pressures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dark past and the cruel present\u2014how do you manage that?\u201d Kagame asked rhetorically, acknowledging the inseparable link between the Genocide against the Tutsi, which scarred Rwanda and claimed more than a million lives 31 years ago, and the challenges it faces today.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the beginning, we were under no illusion that the two were siblings, and we had to deal with them as such. You are either crushed in between and cease to exist, or you stand up and fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kagame framed Rwanda\u2019s resilience as a hard-earned strength, forged through adversity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat didn\u2019t kill us and finish us 31 years ago has hardened us,\u201d he asserted, assuring the nation that the worst is behind them. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe hurricane came, and we took cover\u2026 it has passed, and we rebuilt. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any other hurricane that will come and sweep across the country, destroying everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
He urged Rwandans to reject passivity, warning that while standing up carries risks, inaction guarantees defeat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a risk you may die when you stand up to fight. But if you don\u2019t, it\u2019s a sure thing you\u2019re going to die,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cAnd fighting does not involve invading anybody\u2019s territory, does not involve going after something that is not ours. Fighting, I mean, is if you find us here and want to treat us the way you want, that you have seen in the past, I just want to assure you, you will not succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The president did not shy away from confronting international critics, accusing Western powers and the United Nations of perpetuating a \u201ccruel present\u201d through hypocrisy and selective justice.<\/p>\n
Kagame also voiced frustration at what he described as double standards in international diplomacy\u2014particularly regarding the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the treatment of Congolese Tutsi refugees in Rwanda.<\/p>\n
“They’re fine with that. And they expect us to accept it also ourselves, in broad daylight\u2014hate speech, killings of people for their identity, uprooting them from their homes. And most of them are refugees here in this country.<\/p>\n
“We have 125,000 people living as refugees in camps, uprooted from their homes in eastern Congo. Then these powerful people come here and pick one, two, three\u2014another day, five, if there are many\u2014to go and settle them in their beautiful countries. And they leave the majority here.”<\/p>\n
He condemned African leaders he described as \u201cpuppets,\u201d who enrich themselves while their citizens suffer in poverty.<\/p>\n
\u201cFind billionaires in a sea of poverty,\u201d he said. \u201cThese are the ones received in Western capitals and praised.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kagame also dismissed claims that Rwanda was plundering minerals in eastern DRC and denounced calls for sanctions.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the allegations about the minerals were actually true, Rwanda would be as rich as those making the accusations. In fact, we wouldn\u2019t need your money at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Extending his message beyond Rwanda, Kagame challenged Africans to resist dehumanisation and dependency.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy message goes to other Africans who live like this on a daily basis\u2014who are dehumanised, and they accept it, and they beg,\u201d he said. \u201cI can\u2019t beg to live. When can Africans refuse to be mistreated like this? To be told their lives have to be lived as a favour?\u201d<\/p>\n
April 7 is recognised as the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. The day is observed globally to honour the memory of more than one million lives lost in just 100 days.<\/p>\n
Earlier, President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame lit a flame of hope at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, marking the official start of the commemoration week and the 100 days of remembrance activities.<\/p>\n
The First Family also laid wreaths on the mass graves and paid tribute to the victims.<\/p>\n