As the Diaspora of the Midwest of America gathered to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Col Raoul Bazatoha, the Defense Attaché in Rwanda's embassy in Washington DC, urged the international community to prevent increasing hate speech against the Tutsi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With about 300 people in attendance, the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi (Kwibuka 30) took place in the City of South Bend, at Century Center, Bendix Theater, in the Northern of Indiana State. Bazatoha, who was representing Amb. Mathilde Mukantabana, Rwanda's envoy to the United States, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, condemned the ongoing discrimination of the Congolese Tutsi.
"As we commemorate this solemn anniversary, we must remain vigilant against the resurgence of hatred and divisionism in the region, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where authorities and public figures openly call for violence against Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese of Tutsi affiliation," he said.
He implored the Midwest diaspora to reaffirm their commitment to fight against genocide ideology and denial, especially abroad.
"Let us stand together as a global community to ensure that the memory of the genocide is preserved, and that the justice is served for the victims and survivors," emphasized Bazatoha.
"The memory of the genocide remains painfully present. We continue to confront the scourge of denial and distortion, and as some seek to rewrite history and minimize the horrors that were inflicted upon our people. We must ensure that the truth is preserved and that the voices of the victims are never silenced."
During the commemoration, testimonies, songs, and speeches reflected on the passage of three decades since the 1994 genocide, indicating the emergence of a new generation of Rwandans committed to a future free of hatred and division.
Among the guests was James Mueller, the Mayor of the City of South Bend, who gifted the community a proclamation made by his office.
The proclamation signed and sealed by Mueller read: "We advocate establishing memory; memory symbols of those we have lost, and to serve as the reminder of the importance of remembrance. We call for the inclusion of course lessons about genocide in schools to educate the young and the next generation, on the needs to fight hate ideology and stand against discrimination and divisionism."
Mueller gave special thanks to the Rwandan American Community of the Midwest for gathering to raise awareness and understanding about the root causes and consequences of genocide.
A panel of discussion of Marie-Rose Polie Semuhungu, Thomas Habimana, Brianna Ngarambe, and Sylvie Izabayo, moderated by Nxumalo Ruhaya explained how the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi affected three generations in various ways. David Simon, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Yale University, as well as the Associate Director of Yale's Genocide Studies Program and the Director of the Genocide Project detailed how the international community abandoned the Tutsi during 1994 genocide, despite all the available evidence to the fact that the then Rwandan genocidal regime was preparing a genocide against the Tutsi.
He mentioned articles written by an American Philip Gourevitch who wrote in the New York Times about how Canadian retired Lt Gen Romeo Antonius Dallaire, the former Force Commander of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, received faxes from the UN, saying that America had no will to send more troops to stop Genocide in Rwanda.
"In January 1994, the United Nations department of peacekeeping operations led by Koffi Annan, ordered the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) to stand down when it had presented the office in the New York the opportunity to seize arms that have been stockpiled and it will be used later at the service of the genocide," Professor Simon noted.
"UNAMIR had the evidences of the genocide preparations. Not just the stockpiled arms, but the compiling of lists and directions as to how they might trigger the exact type of mass violence we saw."
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Ernestine Mukakabera, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, gave testimony on how her neighbors savagery killed some of her family members with machetes, and how she escaped.
Mukakabera later had three surgeries due to her post-traumatic and mental illness.
"My wife, Gisele who is here, was just two years old, and her sister was three when their mom and dad were killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Today, we have two beautiful children under three who will never see their grandparents, many of their uncles, and aunties. And, that story is for many people in this room," Leonard Kwitonda, the President of the Rwandan American Community of Midwest, gave his personal testimonial, appreciating his wife's resilience and courage.
The Michiana community organized the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in collaboration with Notre Dame University's Law School and the Global Survivors for Peace, an NGO led by Immaculee Songa, a genocide survivor.
