Over 300 mourners, including Rwandans and friends of Rwanda, on Wednesday met in Djibouti to mark the 25th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

The event was jointly organised by the Rwandan community in the Horn of Africa nation in collaboration with the Rwandan Embassy resident in Ethiopia.

The ceremony was held at the People’s Palace  of Djibouti and was attended by among others senior Djibouti government  officials, diplomatic corps, university dons and students, leaders of international organizations, and Rwandans.

The commemorative event started with the lighting of the Flame of Remembrance by Mahamoud Ali Yusuf, the Djibouti Minister of  Foreign Affairs together with Amb. Hope Tumukunde Gasatura , the Rwandan envoy accredited to Djibouti.

In his remarks, Ali Yusuf expressed the solidarity of people of Djibouti with their Rwandan counterparts during this time of commemoration of the over a million of Tutsi killed within 100 days.

He stressed the imperative of all Africans and the entire international community to keep this memory alive for the sake of future generations so that it must not happen again.

He commended  the leadership of Rwanda for the transformational leadership, development and reconstruction, reconciliation and forgiveness of Rwandans.

The minister indicated that the government of Djibouti will always  commemorate annually the Genocide against the Tutsi.

In her statement, the Ambassador Tumukunde thanked the participants for attending the event and showing solidarity in paying tribute to the victims and survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi. She particularly addressed the youth attendees stating that "the youth play an important role in developing societies through shared human values and making right  choices.

Therefore, the youth is called upon to play a positive role in building their communities by upholding human values and promoting peace and love and take charge and build on the foundations they have to built even a better future.”

Ambassador Tumukunde also challenged the international community to draw lessons from the Genocide against the Tutsi, and to implement the 1948 Genocide Convention.

She called  upon the countries which have not yet ratified the convention to do so  and domesticate it as it provides for obligation to prevent, to prosecute and cooperate with relevant criminal tribunals.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com