The High Commission of Rwanda in Zambia on April 7, marked the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Joining in this year’s commemoration in the Southern African country were over 300 guests that included members of the Rwandan community living in Zambia, host government officials, civil society, members of the diplomatic corps and friends of Rwanda.

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In his speech the High Commissioner to Zambia, Emmanuel Bugingo noted that the Genocide, which claimed one million lives, was the culmination of decades-long ethnic hate and ideology of division instigated, taught and spread since the colonial period in Rwanda by the colonial administrations.

"Rwanda’s tragedy was a global failure. Yet its recovery offers lessons: the power of grassroots reconciliation, the urgency of early intervention, and the need to reject complacency,” Bugingo said.

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He noted, however, that the situation in eastern DR Congo, where the Tutsi communities are persecuted by groups like the Genocidal FDLR, reflects the horrors of 1994.

"The unfolding tragedy in eastern DR Congo is a haunting echo of the darkest chapters in human history. Today, as armed groups target communities based on ethnicity, as hate speech vilifies the Banyamulenge as "foreign invaders,” and as the world looks away, we are witnessing chilling parallels to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda,” he said.

During the last thirty-one years, the Government of Rwanda has made significant efforts to preserve and honor the historical memory of the Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994 both at National and International levels.

On this solemn occasion of Kwibuka31, we join the global community in 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Between April 7 and July 3, 1994, over one million Tutsi were brutally murdered in a campaign of unspeakable violence.

Kwibuka (Kinyarwanda for "to remember”) serves as a sacred pledge to honor the lives lost, stand with survivors, and ensure that such atrocities are never repeated. This year’s theme, "Remember. Unite. Renew,” underscores Rwanda’s journey from darkness to hope, emphasizing collective memory, reconciliation, and the resilience that has propelled the nation forward.

"The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi undoubtedly teaches us painful but vital lessons,” said the Zambian Minister of Community Development and Social Services Doreen Mwamba.

"It reminds us of the dangers of division, propaganda and unchecked hatred. It also shows the devastating consequences of international indifference.”

Mwamba expressed Zambia’s solidarity with the people of Rwanda during the commemoration period.