International Day of Reflection on 1994 Genocide in Rwanda

New York, 15 April 2023 (TDI): United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) marked today 29 years of International Day of Reflection on the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994.

NGA President Csaba Kőrösi expressed his views at the General Assembly, where all members stood united in memory of the 1 million souls whose lives were cut short in the wholesale slaughter of human beings that unfolded over those 100 days.

“We are here together to mourn the more than one million children, women, and men who perished during the 100 days of horror 29 years ago,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Moreover, he added that hate speech is an alarm bell, and the louder it rings, the greater the threat of genocide.

Additionally, UNGA acknowledged the failure of the international community and expressed shame for not listening to the voices of the Rwandan people. In remembrance of the Rwandan people, UNGA pledged to contribute to the resilience of the survivors.

History of Rwandan Genocide:

Further, the Rwandan Genocide unfolded due to decades-long intercommunal clashes in April 1994. Hutu group leaders adopted a deadly campaign against the Tutsi.

“The killings did not start spontaneously,” Guterres said. “They were carefully planned long in advance and executed deliberately and systematically. It was premeditated murder in broad daylight.”

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A generation since the genocide, “we must never forget the dangers posed by the fragility of civility in all societies; it precedes and promotes violence”, he cautioned.

Henriette Mutegwaraba, a 50-year-old survivor now living in the United States, met with UN News to discuss her survival and healing. She warned that hate speech today echoes the haunting memory of the genocide in Rwanda.

She emphasized that nobody is immune to what happened in Rwanda in 1994 and discussed the propaganda happening in the United States. She also expressed concern about the country’s deepening division, which many people are not paying attention to.