Thirty years after the Genocide against the Tutsi, a chilling silence hangs over a crucial aspect of this horrific event, considered among the worst atrocity to take place in recorded human history.
The international community, once failing to act in the face of a massacre back in 1994, now risks failing the victims a second time - by refusing to acknowledge the genocide for what it truly was: the Genocide against the Tutsi.
ALSO READ PHOTOS: Rwanda marks Kwibuka 30
This was again at play as we commemorated the Genocide against the Tutsi on April 7, where a few countries - including the mighty United States - in their true fashion preferred to resort to ambiguities in their so-called messages of solidarity with Rwandans.
This growing indifference to the specific targeting of the Tutsi minority is not merely a matter of semantics. It is a betrayal of historical accuracy, a minimisation of the suffering endured, and a potential precursor to future atrocities.
ALSO READ Kwibuka: Foreign capitals send messages of solidarity
When we fail to call the genocide by its rightful name, we trivialise the systematic extermination of over one million Tutsi. We erase the intent behind the machetes and grenades - the deliberate eradication of an entire group. This selective amnesia undermines the fight against future genocides, as it allows the seeds of denial and revisionism to take root.
The international community cannot afford to forget the lessons of Rwanda. In 1994, the world watched in horrifying silence as the pleas of Rwandans fell on deaf ears. This time, we must stand firmly with the survivors and acknowledge the truth.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
ALSO READ: Rwandans cannot be indifferent to roots of Genocide - Kagame
Calling it the "Rwandan Genocide" provides a convenient shroud of neutrality. It obscures the targeted nature of the killings and allows those who perpetrated or ignored the violence to escape full accountability. It is a disservice to history, a slap in the face to the victims, and a dangerous precedent.
We urge the international community to show true respect for the victims and their families. Let us replace euphemisms with the stark truth: the Genocide against the Tutsi. Let this recognition be a pledge to never again turn a blind eye to the targeting of innocent lives.
Rwanda continues to rebuild, but the wounds of the genocide remain raw. Let us honor the lost by acknowledging the truth of their suffering. This is the least we can do to ensure their story is never forgotten, and their sacrifice is never in vain. The time for inaction is over. The time for truth is now.
