Hundreds of Rwandans and friends of Rwanda converged at the United Nations offices Gigiri to attend the 22nd commemoration of the Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi yesterday.
The commemoration was led by the Speaker of Kenyan Senate Ekwee Ethuro who paid tribute to the Genocide victims where over a million Tutsis lost innocent lives.
Honourable Ethuro noted that victims of the Rwanda genocide were citizens of the world: women, men, and children.“They were human beings like you and me who had hopes, aspirations and dreams,” he said.
Honourable Ethuro noted that even though it is time to remember of dark period of human history, he was pleased to observe that Rwanda has risen from the ashes and regained its place of pride among the community of nations.
“Rwanda today has registered phenomenal progress. It has raised the bar in various areas and serves as a benchmark for steady growth, ease of doing business and cleanliness as those of you who have visited the beautiful land of a thousand hills will attest to. Life Expectancy has doubled to over 60 years, economic growth rate of around 8% and Infant mortality has significantly dropped from 230/1000 live births to 55 to mention but a few vital statistics. Rwanda boasts of the highest representation of Women MPs globally. It is sitting pretty at 64%.
Honourable Ethuro also commended Rwanda for it efforts to pacify the continent “At regional and multilateral levels, we commend Rwanda’s commitment to maintenance of international peace and security through her contributions to peacekeeping missions in Africa and beyond.”
On April 7th 1994, the regime in power in Rwanda descended on the defenceless Tutsi population and killed them in the worst genocide of the modern era. 10,000 people including men, women and children were killed every single day and by the end of 100 days, over One million people had been slaughtered.
They were killed by the Government forces, militias and ordinary citizens using both rudimentary and modern weapons.
But this commemoration event was marked amid controversy of the definition and understanding of the incidence of the genocide in Rwanda.
“Let me use this opportunity to clarify something that has been a point of disagreement between Rwandans and the United Nations. The United Nations continues to refer to what happened in Rwanda in 1994 as “The Genocide in Rwanda” while in fact what happened is the “Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda”,” said the Ambassador Kimonyo.
He said that as per the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9th December 1948 and came into force on 12th January 1951 in Article II, Genocide means any of the acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group and this is exactly what happened to Tutsis in Rwanda in the year 1994.
“Lets hope the UN recognizes the sensitivity of this matter so that we will be speaking the same language when we meet here again next year,” he said.
Rwandan Ambassador Kimonyo commended President Paul Kagame and the Rwanda Patriotic Front for single handedly leading the revolution to restore order in his country. The envoy reiterated the need to term the Rwanda Genocide as genocide against Tutsi.
“When genocide occurs there is a tendency to blame the victim by people suggesting the victims also killed,” he argued urging member states of the U.N to move with speed to have that specific recognition of Tutsi as the victims of the genocide.
“Today, let us also salute the resilience and celebrate the achievements of the people of Rwanda of liberating their country from genocide, and their spirit of promoting peace, tranquility and forgiveness – but the world must never forget, we must never forget,” said Hon Ethuro.
Ambassador Kimonyo delivered a message of hope saying that today’s Rwanda is a brand new Rwanda.
Allow me to quote my President H.E Paul Kagame who said that, “The body of Rwanda was tortured and assaulted but its spirit never did.” The spirit referred to is the choice made by us Rwandans to transcend our differences and come together to forge a nation for all. Our scars have and will continue to turn into stars. Rwanda has changed for good and forever. No turning back”.
During the occasion young Rwandans who were victims of the violence lit candles as one of them Beata Uwinyange narrated her experience with the genocide and how her entire family was killed in cold blood.
Leave a Reply