PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has commended the Rwandan government for economic and political advancement, 29 years after the 1994 genocide.
The Head of State made the remarks through the Minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, Dr Damas Ndumbaro who represented her in a commemoration to mark 29 years of genocide against the Tutsi held in Dar es Salaam.
She said the country under President Paul Kagame has also strengthened its rela- tions with the international community in an effort to ensure that the genocide never happens again.
Dr Ndumbaro said Rwanda is among the coun- tries with fast growing economy and their relation with other countries has also been strengthened, thus it should be recognised and respected.
"President Samia commends the government of Rwanda under President Kagame for its efforts to strengthen development sectors, further collaborating with the international com- munity to ensure that geno- cide does not repeat itself," Dr Ndumbaro said.
He noted that the killings that led to the loss of lives of at least one million people was against human rights and were crimes against humanity.
Dr Ndumbaro said that the media was among the the cause of the genocide calling upon the practitioners to execute their duties by abiding by ethics and avoid reporting information that could insti- gate chaos.
"The media was cited as one among the causes of the genocide, so I urge them not to be the cause of violence or to be an instigator of violence in society," he explained.
Rwanda High Commissioner to Tanzania, Mr Charles Karamba said purpose of the annual commemorations was to provide awareness to the African people and the international community about the value of life and humanity, to renew Rwandans collective commitment to protect and uphold fundamental human rights.
Mr Karamba said he was pleased with the cooperation between the two countries and supported the efforts shown by the Tanzanian gov- ernment to strengthen the Rwandan economy.
"The Tanzanian govern- ment has been a catalyst in promoting the development in Rwanda as it helps in the development of the economy," he said.
Mr Karamba said there is a need for Tanzania-Rwanda to maintain relationship so as to can avoid the reoccurrence of genocide.
The Rwandan genocide was a mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda during the Rwandan Civil War in 1994.
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It was directed by members of the Hutu majority government between April 7 and mid-July of that year. Started by Hutu nationalists in the capital of Kigali, the genocide spread throughout the country with shocking speed and brutality, as ordinary citizens were incited by local officials and the Hutu Power government to take up arms against their neighbors. By the time the Tutsi led Rwandese Patriotic Front gained control of the country through a military offensive in early July, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were dead and 2 million refugees (mainly Hutus) fled Rwanda, exacerbating what had already become a fully blown humanitarian crisis.
