‘International community failed us,’ says Rwandan president as nation marks 30 years since genocide
Villagers looking for human remains in Ngoma
Rwanda on April 7 marked the 30th anniversary of the genocide that tore apart the nation's social fabric and claimed the lives of over 800,000 people in 100 days.
This commemoration was done as a symbol of remembrance of the victims of the horrific genocide.Three decades ago, the world stood witness to one of the most horrific atrocities in modern history as ethnic tensions between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority erupted into violence whereHutu extremists committed genocide of Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
However, amid the darkness, Rwanda demonstrated remarkable progress in reconciliation and rebuilding efforts. Commemorative events during this 30th anniversary in Kigali on Sunday (Apr 7), Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, and his wife Jeannette Kagame, ignited a memorial flame as part of the remembrance ceremonies.
“It was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice,” Kagame reportedly said.
Remembrance ceremonies
The ceremony was attended by representatives from regional and global institutions such as the European Union, African Union, and the UN.
Among the attendees was Bill Clinton, who served as president of the United States during the genocide era. He had openly acknowledged the failure of America to swiftly intervene in the genocide. Meanwhile, France's President Emmanuel Macron also, in recent years, acknowledged France's shortcomings in preventing the genocide.
As Rwanda observes the 30th anniversary of the genocide, the United Nations is also conducting commemorative events to honour the survivors and remember the victims.
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"We will never forget the victims of this genocide," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement earlier this week. "Nor will we ever forget the bravery and resilience of those who survived."
US President Joe Biden, in a statement said, “We will never forget the horrors of those 100 days, the pain and loss suffered by the people of Rwanda, or the shared humanity that connects us all, which hate can never overcome.”
(With inputs from agencies)