Rwandan officials organize diaspora meetings to strengthen ties, foster unity, and encourage investment. On February 21, nearly 500 Rwandan youth born abroad or who left Rwanda during the Genocide against the Tutsi gathered with diaspora association representatives and community leaders from several European countries in Paris, France.

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A day earlier, Rwandan youth and their parents from Belgium arrived in Rwanda for a 10-day cultural study tour. These two events evoked memories of a high-level gathering of the Interahamwe militia held on February 25, 1994, two months before the genocide against the Tutsi began.

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That meeting recommended compiling lists of Tutsi in Kigali and instructed Interahamwe members to assist CDR and MDR members in hunting them down. Participants were urged to keep all Tutsi under close surveillance, especially those already marked for murder.

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The idea of mobilizing youth into a criminal gang tasked with hunting fellow Rwandans originated with the head of state himself. On April 28, 1991, President Juvénal Habyarimana declared a "final solution” to the Tutsi "problem.” He announced that a plan had been devised to resolve, once and for all, what he described as a war caused by the Tutsi, introducing the concept of "civil defence,” a task he assigned to the Interahamwe, which he had first created in 1973 while serving as minister of defence.

Leaders during the Grégoire Kayibanda and Habyarimana eras proclaimed youth as the future leaders and the foundation of the country’s development. But they divided them into Hutu and Tutsi, teaching those labelled Hutu—some as young as six —to hate and kill Tutsi.

Few believed that a country with a youth population indoctrinated to hate and kill their compatriots could overcome such genocidal ideology. Today, the government led by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) has united citizens while reconnecting with young people in the diaspora. Rwandan youth accomplished what many once thought impossible: embracing reconciliation, without which development could not have taken place.

Although a small number of young adults remain committed to their parents’ genocidal ideology, such as those associated with Jambo ASBL in Belgium, thousands more witness the reality of their country through meetings that shape its future—not gangland meetings organized to destroy it.

The ministry of foreign affairs leads these efforts, bringing diaspora youth to Kigali through initiatives designed to reconnect them with their heritage, educate them about the country’s development, and encourage investment aligned with Vision 2050.

The Rwanda Youth Tour, organized annually, has brought hundreds of youths from Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and the United States. In July 2023, "Gutoza Umuco” brought over 140 young Rwandans from Belgium, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom to learn about Rwandan culture and heritage. In October 2025, Rwandan youth from South Africa arrived in Kigali for a 10-day tour exploring their roots, history, and socio-economic opportunities through the RCA-ZA Youth Connection Tour. In December 2025, young professionals and students from Poland visited historical sites in Kigali to strengthen their historical awareness.

Diaspora Homecoming 2026, scheduled for August 6–9, this year, will take place in Kigali. The event aims to position Rwanda as a sports investment hub and encourage diaspora participation.

The first Rwanda Day, an annual diaspora engagement event organized by the government to connect with citizens living abroad and friends of Rwanda, was held in Brussels in 2010. It has since taken place in Chicago, Paris, Boston, London, Toronto, Atlanta, Dallas, Amsterdam, San Francisco, and Ghent.

Today’s youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow but active drivers of the present. Their voices, ideas, and actions are central to shaping inclusive policies and transformative solutions that make ours a nation in which every citizen takes pride.

The contrast between the gangland gatherings of the pre-1994 era and today’s youth meetings illustrates Rwanda’s transformation. Where hatred once divided, unity now prevails. The youth once weaponized to destroy their country now stand as architects of its future—a testament to Rwanda’s resilience and the power of purposeful reconciliation.

Amani Athar is a media specialist, historian and playwright.