RWANDA’S 30TH GENOCIDE ANNIVERSARY: Kagame hails Nyerere
KIGALI: RWANDAN President Paul Kagame has hailed the father of the nation Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Tanzania for a special role played to help Rwanda after the 1994 genocide.
Addressing world leaders at a ceremony to mark 30 years since the brutal killings of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in 1994, President Kagame said in Kigali yesterday that Mwalimu Nyerere and Tanzania played unique role at many critical points after the genocide which included facilitating and hosting the Arusha peace process.
“Tanzania… also played a unique role at many critical points, including hosting and facilitating the Arusha peace process. And here I must single out the late President Julius Nyerere who embodied the spirit which laid that foundation,” he said at the ceremony attended also by President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other leaders.
President Kagame also hailed Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo for their role in helping Rwanda after the genocide.
“For example, Uganda, which carried the burden of Rwanda’s internal problems for so many years, and was even blamed for that,” “The leadership and the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea helped us in starting to rebuild at that time.
President Kagame also hailed Uganda, Ethiopia, Er- itrea, Kenya, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo for their role in helping Rwanda after the genocide.
“For example, Uganda, which carried the burden of Rwanda’s internal problems for so many years, and was even blamed for that,”
“The leadership and the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea helped us in starting to rebuild at that time. In fact, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who is here, even served as a young peacekeeper in the immediate aftermath of the genocide. “Kenya, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Con- go hosted large numbers of Rwandan refugees, and gave them a home,” he said.
President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeanette lighted a remembrance flame known as ‘kwibuka’ meaning remembering to commemorate the genocide.
At least one million people, largely Tutsi and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days.
“It was the international community which failed all of us, whether from contempt or cowardice,” he said, addressing an audience that included several African heads of state and former US president Bill Clinton, who had called the genocide the biggest failure of his administration.
President Samia participated in laying a wreath at the genocide cemetery. Other leaders and global dignitaries who attended the anniversary were from South Africa, Congo, Ethiopia and Central African Republic.
Also in attendance were Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, and former US and French presidents Bill Clinton and Nicolas Sarkozy.
In Dar es Salaam, the Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Dr Pindi Chana on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr January Makamba said Tanzania stands with Rwanda to reflect the 1994 genocide.
She said Tanzania and Rwanda together welcome the prosperous fu- ture of reconciliation and unity which embrace political and social cohesion among citizens.
“As the close neighbour, Tanzania is more than aware of what Rwanda went through during the horrible 1994 Genocide.
Indeed we saw what others only heard from far. We saw the bodies of our Rwandan brothers and sisters brutally killed and floating down the Kagera River, the evidence being the massive graves in Ngara District,” Dr Chana said.
Highlighting the catastrophic aftermath of the genocide, she said it resulted in some hundred thousand Rwandans to come in Tanzania as refugees, a situation in which the two countries further share the pain.
She said the commemoration of the genocide reminds the failure of the international communities to be proactive in containing the massacre earlier at its symptom stage.
In that regard, she called upon the global community to be proactive in fostering peace and understanding through reconciliation and mitigating any form of discrimination including hate speeches and racism which can lead to bloodshed.
In another development, Dr Chana commended Rwanda for its impressive recovery featured by unwavering contribution to UN peacekeeping operations, environment conservation and building a favourable economic atmosphere for inclusive prosperity.
For her part, the Head of Resident Coordinator’s Office United Nations (UN) Tanzania, Ms Shabnam Mallick said apart from remembering the stories of pain, loss and unimaginable suffering the commemoration also brought all world nations to honour the spirit of survivors who cherish resilience.
“Their struggle to heal, to rebuild, and to find hope in the ashes of despair is a testament to the enduring power of the human soul,” Ms Mallick said.
She called upon media outlets and religious leaders across the world among other development stakeholders to keep on shedding light on the root causes of the genocide while promoting tolerance and coexistence.
“We must stand as one, a global force against hatred and discrimination in all its forms. We must ensure that the next generation becomes the guardians of a kinder future,” Ms Mallick said.
On top of that, she appreciated Tanzania’s unity and solidarity planted by the Founder of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere saying it is necessary for other countries to emulate.
Detailing the genocide, Rwanda’s High Commissioner of Tanzania, Ms Fatou Harerimana said the mass killing was planned and motivated by politics of discrimination and lasted for three months from April 7 in 1994 from which about one million lives were claimed.
“Some families perished. We must ensure it never happens again anywhere in the world,” Ms Harerimana noted.
She said currently Rwanda is working to ward transformation in all aspects of life with citizens inclusivity and reconciliation at the heart of all development efforts noting as of today women account for over 60 per cent of the total parliamentary seats.
The ceremony which was organised by the Rwanda High Commission in Collaboration with the United Nations (UN) Tanzania attracted a huge turnout including government leaders, diplomats, Rwandan diaspora in Tanzania, leaders of the international communities, religious leaders as well as students.