Rwandans and friends of Rwanda all over the world will, from April 7 to 13, commence a week of commemoration activities to mark 31 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
More than a million people died in the carefully planned massacre that lasted 100 days from April to July in 1994.
The commemoration events are expected to start with a lighting of the 'Flame of Hope' at Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, Gisozi by President Paul Kagame, which will burn for the 100 days.
The President is also expected to lay a wreath in honour of not only the 250,000 victims interred at the memorial, but also all victims of the Genocide. Later, a minute of silence will be observed countrywide
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During the week of mourning, the national flag will fly at half-mast. Commemoration activities will also be held across the country and in Rwandan embassies across the world.
In 2003, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
It encouraged "all Member States, organisations of the United Nations system, and other relevant international organisations, as well as civil society organisations, to observe the International Day, including special observances and activities in memory of the victims of the genocide in Rwanda."
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The Kigali Genocide Memorial, where the lighting of the Candle of Hope will take place, is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi. This memorial also serves to educate people about how the Genocide against the Tutsi took shape and examines genocide in the 20th century.
The Light of Hope ceremony at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where wreaths will be laid to pay tribute to the victims, will be followed by the Walk to Remember.
A "Walk to Remember Rwanda" is a powerful and emotional journey to honor the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and to raise awareness about the impact it had on the country and its people. The event also encourages young people to fight against prejudice, intolerance, and hatred.
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"The Walk to Remember will take place in the afternoon on April 7, from the Parliament Buildings to the BK Arena," said Minister of National Unity and Civic Education Jean Damascene Bizimana. He also mentioned that the night vigil will feature messages and testimonies about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
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In each of Rwanda's 30 districts, commemoration will begin at the district memorial centers or other designated memorial sites, where wreaths will be laid. At the village level, remembrance ceremonies will include discussions organised by the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), followed by a message of the day.
The activities will conclude by noon to allow regular activities to resume.
The commemoration week, from April 8 to 13, will feature activities across the country on dates set by the relevant authorities. For example, on April 10, a lecture will be held for foreign diplomats and international organisations in Rwanda, alongside youth events.
On April 11, a "Walk to Remember" will take place in Kicukiro District, starting at IPRC Kicukiro, followed by a commemoration evening at the Nyanza Genocide Memorial in Kicukiro. On April 13, an event will be held at the Rebero Genocide Memorial to honor the politicians who were killed while opposing the genocide.
Commemoration activities will take place across public and private institutions from April 8 to July 3, with dates chosen by each institution.
Genocide commemoration amid violence against Congolese Tutsi
The commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi takes place amid ongoing anti-Tutsi hate speech and violence in eastern DR Congo. Bizimana said: "31 years have passed without the same International Community, once guilty of abandoning Rwanda, saying a word about the fate of the Congolese refugees who have been driven from their homes by the FDLR since July 1994.
Over 900,000 Congolese Tutsi refugees have fled their country, their land, their homes, and are living in camps in Rwanda, Uganda, and elsewhere. The crimes they have suffered are globally known but remain unpunished. Can we then say that the genocide of the Tutsi has taught the International Community anything?"
Speaking during the international conference on Genocide on April 6, Dr. Alex Mvuka Ntung, a researcher and analyst on the Great Lakes Region, said, "What I see is a question of whether the Genocide against the Tutsi has been relocated," warning that the situation in eastern DR Congo mirrors that of 1994.
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Held under the theme "When Never Again Fails: Continuation of Genocide Ideology," the conference brought together participants to reflect on the persistence of genocide ideology and to call for truth, justice, and coordinated global action to prevent its spread.
"We are seeing lynching and cannibalism... it's not just the infliction of pain but a message of humiliating relatives," says Dr. Ntung, calling it a form of epistemic injustice.
Genocide ideology, fugitives
Trivializing the Genocide against the Tutsi, genocide ideology is taking place in different countries, including those in which genocide fugitives are still roaming. Despite ongoing efforts to bring perpetrators to justice, many genocide fugitives remain at large.
According to the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), since 2007, Rwanda has issued 1,147 indictments, sending them to 33 countries. A paltry 62 fugitives have been apprehended and tried. Fifty percent of these fugitives were extradited to Rwanda for trial, while the same number were tried in the countries where they were arrested.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) alone is home to 408 fugitives. The rest are scattered across other continents, often shielded by legal and political complexities.
