KIGALI, APRIL 7 - I appreciate the opportunity to reflect on the Genocide against the Tutsi, which originated from colonialism that imposed ethnic divisions, leading to the preparation and execution of the genocide, witnessed by the international community. A brief review of the history I will share shows that no country in the world has spent 109 years destroying another like Belgium has done to Rwanda.

It began in 1916, when Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom agreed to redefine the borders of Rwanda, which had been expanded under King Ruganzu II Ndoli (1600-1623) and King Kigeli II Nyamuheshera (1648-1692), reaching into territories such as Masisi, Rutshuru, and others. What followed were repressive laws, including the decree of 21 March 1917 instituting corporal punishment, that of 26 July 1925 stripping Rwanda of its sovereignty, and the law of 11 January 1926 stipulating that Rwanda would henceforth be governed by Congolese law. These laws institutionalised injustice and sowed division among Rwandans.

Between 1924 and 1946, Belgium signed agreements with the League of Nations (and later the United Nations), undertaking to lead Rwanda: