The acknowledgment came during the 32nd commemoration of the genocide in remarks by Nick Checker, Senior Bureau Official at the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs.
“As we gather to mark this solemn occasion, let us recognise the unspeakable horrors that befell the Rwandan people during the Genocide against the Tutsi. Today, we remember the nearly one million Tutsi victims, as well as Hutu, Twa, and others who were murdered due to their opposition to a genocidal regime,” Checker said.
Checker recalled his visit to Rwanda and the genocide sites at Nyamata and Ntarama, former churches where tens of thousands of Tutsis were killed. He described the emotional impact of seeing the altars where the massacres occurred:
“Standing before those altars, one cannot escape the visceral reality of what occurred there; I was profoundly moved. The altar, where the holy sacrifice of the Mass is offered, where the blood of Christ is made present for the salvation of the world, was here mingled with the blood of the innocent during the Genocide against the Tutsi.”
He noted that the genocide was the result of deliberate leadership decisions and emphasised the importance of justice:
“A key component of this effort is bringing justice to victims and survivors by holding the perpetrators accountable. The United States helped establish the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and will continue to work with partners to bring those responsible for the genocide to justice.”
Previously, the United States had referred to the events as the “Rwandan Genocide” or noted that “Tutsi, Hutu, Twa, and others” were killed. Observers have said this language was misleading, as 93.7% of the victims were Tutsi, according to Rwanda’s 2004 census.
During the 30th commemoration, President Paul Kagame addressed past international reluctance to clearly identify the victims, saying:
“Rwandans will never understand why any country would remain intentionally vague about who was targeted in the genocide. I don’t understand that. Such ambiguity is, in fact, a form of denial, which is a crime in and of itself, and Rwanda will always challenge it.”
Historians often compare the Genocide against the Tutsi with other large-scale atrocities to highlight the deliberate targeting of specific groups. During World War II, the Nazis killed six million Jews in the Holocaust. In total, roughly 75 million people died as a result of the war.
While tens of millions of others, including Slavs, Roma, political dissidents, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, also lost their lives, they are not counted as victims of the Holocaust. This is because the term is defined specifically by the Nazis’ plan to exterminate the Jewish people.
Experts say the same principle applies to Rwanda. The killings in 1994 specifically targeted the Tutsi population. Using the term “Genocide against the Tutsi” reflects this deliberate targeting and ensures the historical record is not distorted.
The U.N. General Assembly has designated April 7 as the annual commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi. Rwanda has consistently emphasised that correct terminology is essential to honour victims and prevent denial or minimisation of the 1994 atrocities.
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