President Kagame said Rwanda will never allow what happened 30 years ago to happen again
The Head of State made the remarks on Sunday, April 7, at the beginning of the 30th Commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, held at BK Arena, bringing together world leaders, past and present, who joined Rwandans to mark three decades after more than one million people were killed in cold blood.
Prior to addressing more than 5,000 people who were gathered in the magnificent BK Arena, President Kagame and the First Lady, Jeannette Kagame were joined by visit heads of state and government representatives, to lay wreath and pay tribute to the more than 250,000 people laid to rest at Kigali Genocide Memorial.
President Kagame and the First Lady lit the flame of hope before proceeded to BK Arena where the main event took place, in the presence of more than 30 global leaders and representatives of international bodies.
Over a dozen current and former Heads of State, including South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and former US President, Bill Clinton, Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopian Prime Minister and wife and many other leaders were present.
At least 30 high level dignitaries, including former and current heads of state and governments, representatives of international bodies, were present.
Speaking at the national ceremony marking the official start of Kwibuka30, President Kagame said that Rwanda has overcome the most difficult phase over the past 30 years but the same ethnic ideology that led to the Genocide happening in Rwanda remains rampant.
“We have turned the corner in Rwanda, but the same ideology that justified the genocide against the Tutsi is still alive and well in our region. And we see the same indifference from the wider world as in 1994,” President Kagame said in reference to the ongoing situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Head of State told the gather that the goings-on in Eastern DRC show that the expensive lessons learned from Rwanda seem to be lost, and the world stares on blindly as the same type of situation builds up again and again.
Tribute to Survivors
President Kagame paid to tribute to survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi, pointing out that the country required them to do the impossible, which is forgiving those who hurt and betrayed them -the cost the country had to pay.
“Today, our hearts are filled with grief and gratitude in equal measure. We remember our dead, and are also grateful for what Rwanda has become,”
“To the survivors among us, we are in your debt. We asked you to do the impossible by carrying the burden of reconciliation on your shoulders. And you continue to do the impossible for our nation, every single day, and we thank you,” President Kagame said.
He pointed out that as the years pass, the descendants of survivors increasingly struggle with the quiet loneliness of longing for relatives they never met, or never even got the chance to be born.
The Tree of life: The foliage symbolizes the protection that the departed souls didn’t have but that Rwandans today can count on whle the the trunk is symbol of the aspiration of the youth—giving life for the future of Rwanda.
“Today, we are thinking of you as well. Our tears flow inward, but we carry on, as a family. Countless Rwandans also resisted the call to genocide. Some paid the ultimate price for that courage, and we honour their memory” the Head of State said.
President Kagame said that Rwanda’s journey has been a long and tough one, mainly because country was completely humbled by the magnitude of the loss, and the lessons learned are engraved in blood.
“But the tremendous progress of our country is plain to see, and it is the result of the choices we made together to resurrect our nation. The foundation of everything is unity,” President Kagame said.
President Kagame said that over the years, the first choice Rwandans made was to believe in the idea of being reunited and living together accordingly while the second choice was to reverse the arrow of accountability, which he said used to point outwards, beyond Rwandan borders.
“Now, we are accountable to each other, above all. Most importantly, we chose to think beyond the horizon of tragedy, and become a people with a future,” Kagame said.
The Head of State took time to recognise Rwanda’s friends and representatives of countries and institutions that contributed positively to the country’s rebirth, citing countries like Uganda, which he said carried the burden of Rwanda’s internal problems for so many years, and was even blamed for that.
Heads of State and high-level diginitaries observe a moment of silence.
“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,” President Kagame said, recognising the presence of the Ethiopian leader.
He recognised countries including Kenya, Burundi, and the DRC, countries he said hosted large numbers of Rwandan refugees, and gave them a home during difficult times.
“Tanzania did as well, and also played a unique role at many critical points, including hosting and facilitating the Arusha peace process,” President Kagame said, singling out the late President Julius Nyerere, who he said embodied the spirit which laid that foundation.
He also recognised the Republic of Congo, whose President Denis Sassou Nguesso was present, adding that the Central African country has been Rwanda’s productive partner in rebuilding, among other countries.
