Genocide threats are entering a new phase, driven by denial, slow international response, and the growing influence of digital platforms, experts have warned.

The warning dominated a high-level panel held alongside a genocide prevention symposium, where scholars, diplomats and survivors reflected on lessons from the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi while confronting emerging global risks.

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Moderated by Kenyan communications specialist Barrack Muluka, the discussion brought together voices from policy, media, academia and lived experience, each highlighting a different dimension of the threat.

Denial as a warning sign

Alice Wairimu Nderitu, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, said denial is not an isolated phenomenon but a predictable and dangerous stage in the cycle of mass atrocities.

Drawing on genocide scholar Gregory Stanton’s "ten stages of genocide”, she noted that denial typically follows violence but can also signal future atrocities.

"Denial is expected,” she said. "We have seen it from the Holocaust to the Genocide against the Tutsi.”

She warned that revisionism and distortion are deliberate efforts to obscure truth and enable future violence, stressing the importance of using the legally recognised term "the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.”

"Each time we distort its name, we echo the language of denial,” she said.

From ‘failure’ to responsibility

Genocide survivor Elisee Rutagambwa challenged the long-held narrative of "international failure,” arguing it masks a more troubling reality.

"What happened was not simply a failure to act,” he said. "It was delayed action, moral indifference and, in some cases, complicity.”

He outlined missed opportunities, from early warning signs to ignored alerts in early 1994, culminating in inaction during the 100 days of killings.

"Genocide is about time,” he said. "When action is delayed, violence accelerates.”

Rutagambwa also pointed to continued financial flows and arms supplies during the genocide, arguing they contributed to the scale and speed of the atrocities.

The digital battleground

Panelists warned that today’s risks are increasingly shaped by technology.

Veteran journalist Charles Onyango-Obbo said genocide denial is expanding through digital platforms, where it spreads faster and across borders.

"We are going to see more denial, not less,” he said. "In the digital age, it spreads wider and more effectively.”

He described a transnational ecosystem of networks producing and amplifying revisionist content, often boosted by algorithms designed to maximise engagement.

"Legislation is only the first step. The real battleground is in the algorithms,” he said.

He called for African-led digital strategies, investment in artificial intelligence, and coordinated efforts to counter harmful narratives online.

Lessons from Rwanda’s recovery

Beyond the risks, the panel reflected on Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery.

Political scientist Frederick Golooba-Mutebi said the country’s emphasis on unity and consensus over adversarial politics has underpinned stability and progress.

"Rwanda rejected divisive politics and focused on inclusion,” he said.

He noted that, despite criticism, the model has delivered gains in infrastructure, public services and social cohesion.

A call for vigilance

Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba urged a rethink of governance systems in Africa, warning that poorly managed diversity can fuel conflict.

"We must ask how to govern in ways that reflect our realities,” he said.

He also pointed to weakening international and regional institutions, citing ongoing conflicts as evidence of global inaction.

"The threat has migrated to the keyboard,” he warned. "If we are not vigilant, it will overwhelm us again.”

Panelists called for sustained action through education, policy, digital regulation and collective vigilance, warning that preventing future atrocities requires constant effort in an increasingly complex and connected world.