Photo credit: Priti Prakash
New Delhi: High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda and United Nations in India observed & celebrated the 30th Commemoration ceremony of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Named as Kwibuka, the event was attended by Indian government officials, representatives from Diplomatic missions including Heads of Mission and Diplomats, members of the business community, members of civil society, media personnel, think tanks, friends of Rwanda, and fellow Rwandans.
Additional Secretary Central and West Africa Division, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Sevala Naik Mude was the Chief Guest. Mude conveyed a message of comfort and support from the Government of India to Rwanda and its people. He commended Rwanda's remarkable progress since 1994, expressed satisfaction with the India-Rwanda relationship and committed to continued cooperation. "India will be a trusted friend to Rwanda", he said.
Photo credit: Priti Prakash
UN Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp, reads out the message of the UN Secretary-General on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. He stated, "Remembering this dark chapter of human history is both an act of honouring the victims and a solemn reminder of our collective responsibility to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again and to embrace the courage of the survivors".
Ambassador of Ireland to India, Kevin Kelly too attended the event and spoke on the genocide 30 years back. Kelly highlighted the international community's failure to prevent the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. "The world stood idly by as we watched the slaughter of a million people. It was a massive failure of the international community", he said.
In her address the High Commissioner of Rwanda to India, Jacqueline Mukangira, amplified the horrors of genocide in her country where she was witness to killings of her family, near and dear ones that left a scar on her life forever. It was an emotional moment for not just the Rwandans present there but for all guests as well. She called on the International Community to recommit to preventing and fighting Genocide and other serious crimes, apprehending and prosecuting confirmed Genocide fugitives, integrating lessons about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi into school curricula, enacting laws to punish Genocide, as well as combating and prosecuting hate speech and genocide-related crimes.
High Commissioner Mukangira thanked attendees for their support, especially India, for illuminating the Qutub Minar with Rwanda's colours on 7 April in solidarity with Rwanda on the solemn occasion.
The event started with the national anthem of India and Rwanda and lamp lighin by guests. This as followed by Kwibuka30 documentary about the genocide and the resurgence of Rwanda after that.
India expressed its solidarity and respect to Rwanda by illumination of Qutub Minar with Rwandan flag colours to honour the memory of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred between 7 April and 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu militias as the world looked on. Around 500,000 to 800,000 Tutsi were estimated killed.
