The Rwandan community in the Czech Republic held an event on Wednesday, April 19, to commemorate the 29th anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The event was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda to the Czech Republic in collaboration with Šimon Heller, a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and Chairman of the Czech Republic-Rwanda Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, and the Rwandan Community in the Czech Republic.
ALSO READ: Rwanda, Czech Republic look to strengthen military cooperation
The commemorative event was attended by some Members of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Members of the African Diplomatic Corps based in Prague, and Members of the Rwandan Community living in the Czech Republic.
Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, spoke at the event, emphasizing the importance of remembering and learning from the tragedy of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and preventing similar events from happening again.
He praised the reconciliation and development progress made by the Rwandan people and announced an upcoming government delegation visit to Rwanda, which will include members from various sectors. Lipavský also acknowledged the recent opening of the Rwandan Embassy in Prague as a sign of the two countries&039; strong relationship.
The Charge d’Affaires of Rwanda to the Czech Republic, Benedicto Nshimiyimana, delivered a message from Vincent Biruta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, expressing Rwanda's desire to strengthen bilateral relations.
Nshimiyimana also acknowledged the international community's failure to prevent the genocide and praised the Czech Republic's Permanent Representative, Ambassador Karel Kovanda, for speaking out against the killings. He emphasized Rwanda's progress in healing, unity, and socio-economic development under the leadership of President Paul Kagame. Lastly, he urged the Czech Republic and the world to criminalize the denial of the genocide against the Tutsi and not to allow it to be disguised as free speech.
At the same event, Felicité Lyamukuru, a Genocide survivor and author of a French language book titled "L’Ouragan a Frappé Nyundo," shared her testimony and recounted the ordeal her family suffered during the genocide in Rwanda. Her parents and siblings were brutally murdered at Nyundo Catholic Church in Nyundo, where her family lived in Rubavu district. Lyamukuru is the only survivor in her immediate family of seven.
The commemoration event serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed during the Genocide against Tutsi and the importance of preventing such events from happening again.