{"id":54355,"date":"2025-06-01T19:14:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T19:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/kwibuka31-rwandans-in-tournai-city-commemorate\/"},"modified":"2025-06-01T22:00:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T22:00:26","slug":"kwibuka31-rwandans-in-tournai-city-commemorate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/kwibuka31-rwandans-in-tournai-city-commemorate\/","title":{"rendered":"Kwibuka31: Rwandans in Tournai city commemorate"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The ceremony brought together Rwandans from across Belgium to honor the over one million lives lost during the genocide, and to reaffirm a collective commitment to remembrance, justice, and peace.<\/p>\n<p>In her keynote address, Mayor Marie-Christine Marghem of Tournai paid tribute to the victims and reflected on the universal importance of remembrance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMemory is not limited to recording events in the course of history,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This long history, in which we have always been involved, has undoubtedly been marked by mistakes. However, over time, thanks to the beings of light who are capable of reaching out and recognizing human dignity, we have learned that such injustices are fundamentally unspeakable, culpable, and condemnable,&#8221; Marghem added. <\/p>\n<p>Claire Kayirangwa, representing Ibuka Belgique, emphasized the duty of remembrance and the importance of transmitting truth to future generations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do not come merely to mourn the dead; we come to carry their memory through the generations,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven today, there are voices that dare to relativize or distort the truth of what happened. To those voices, we respond with dignity and determination: to remember is not to seek pity\u2014it is a moral duty and a commitment to justice,\u201d Kayirangwa added. <\/p>\n<p>Ernest Gakuba, President of the Rwandan Community in Belgium (DRB-Rugari), delivered a stirring address highlighting the role of youth in preserving memory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne hundred days of darkness. One hundred days when humanity failed. Today, we remember\u2014but more than that, we act. We must pass on the memory not just to Rwandan youth, but to youth everywhere. Because today\u2019s silence can nurture tomorrow\u2019s violence,\u201d he noted. <\/p>\n<p>Gakuba also paid tribute to Corporal Bruno M\u00e9aux and the nine other Belgian peacekeepers killed in 1994, calling them \u201csymbols of the price paid for the silence of powerful nations.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Gakuba praised the Rwandan Patriotic Front for its decisive role in ending the genocide when the world chose to look away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese young Rwandans acted\u2014not for revenge, but to save what could still be saved,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n<p>Speakers also addressed the painful reality that, even today, some genocide suspects continue to live freely in Europe, particularly in Belgium and France.<\/p>\n<p>Arnold Turagara, President of the Rwandan Community in Mons and Tournai, called attention to this ongoing injustice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese individuals live settled and protected, while survivors wait for justice,\u201d he said. \u201cDespite these challenges, Rwanda rises\u2014not through foreign aid, but through the will and unity of its people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Turagara also urged Rwandan youth to carry forward the torch of truth, resilience, and national unity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou inherit a difficult past, but also a bright future. Let your generation be the one that defeats the silence of forgetting.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The ceremony included the powerful testimony of Lyamukuru F\u00e9licit\u00e9, a genocide survivor who also served as the master of ceremonies. Her story served as a reminder of the personal loss and resilience that shape the Rwandan identity today.<\/p>\n<p>Mourners laid wreaths at two memorial sites: one honoring the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi, and the other commemorating Corporal Bruno M\u00e9aux.<\/p>\n<p>The event concluded with moving performances by Suzanne Nyiranyamibwa, whose songs of remembrance echoed the collective sorrow and hope of a people determined never to forget.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88432\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0013.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88430\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0016.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88431\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0015.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88433\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0014.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88434\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0011.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88435\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0012.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88436\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0020.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88471\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0050.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88437\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0019.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88448\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0027.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88439\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0017.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88440\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0065.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88441\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0025.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88442\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0022.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88443\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0023.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88444\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88445\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0021.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88446\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0029.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88447\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0028.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88448\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0027.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88449\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0033.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88450\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0026.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88451\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0032.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88452\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0031.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88453\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0030.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88454\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0036.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88455\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0035.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88456\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0034.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88457\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0080.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88458\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0078.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88459\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0038.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88460\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0037.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88461\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0087.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88462\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0085.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88463\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0075.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88464\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0068.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88465\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0041.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88466\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0040.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88467\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0039.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88468\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0044.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88469\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0043.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>{{Night to remember}} <\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88502\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0111.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88501\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0042.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88500\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0069.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88499\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0097.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88498\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0054.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88497\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0053.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88496\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0052.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88495\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0045.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88494\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0099.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88493\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0096.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88492\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0088.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88491\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0090.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88490\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0046.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88489\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0047.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88488\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0110.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88487\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0109.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88486\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0107.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88485\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0106.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88484\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0104.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88483\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0105.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88482\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0102.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88481\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0103.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88480\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0100.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88479\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0048.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88478\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0095.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88477\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0098.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88476\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0093.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88475\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0094.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88474\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0091.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88473\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0092.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88472\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250601-wa0049.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-88470\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/img-20250531-wa0113.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>karirima@igihe.com <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Rwandan community in Tournai, a city in western Belgium, gathered on Saturday, May 31, 2025, to solemnly observe the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000088503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[269],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-54355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-karirima-aimable-ngarambe"],"bylines":[{"id":269,"name":"Karirima Aimable Ngarambe","slug":"karirima-aimable-ngarambe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"contributors":[{"id":269,"name":"Karirima Aimable Ngarambe","slug":"karirima-aimable-ngarambe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"featured_image":{"id":2000088503,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250531-wa0082.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250531-wa0082.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250531-wa0082.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250531-wa0082.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250531-wa0082.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/img-20250531-wa0082.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000088503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54355"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=54355"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=54355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}