The people of Angola stands unconditionally alongside the survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, as well as of all the Rwandan people. This was noted Sunday, June 27, by Téte António, Angolas Minister of External Relations, during a commemoration event organised by the Embassy of Rwanda in Angola, in collaboration with the Rwandan Community in Angola. The event was organized and hosted at the embassy with a limited number of invitees while others attended virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government of Angola was represented by Téte António, and the key note speaker was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta. The Minister of External relations of Angola stressed the importance of consolidating a culture of peace, reconciliation and justice to promote the interconnection between these fundamental instruments of social stability and predict massive atrocities such as the Genocide. He said that: At a time when we are witnessing challenges in multilateralism and therefore in the institutions that emanated from it, our collective capacity to tackle global challenges must be a permanent concern, especially if we recall the flaws in the UN Security Council at the time of the Genocide in Rwanda. “In this solemn act, allow me to emphasize that the Republic of Angola stands unconditionally alongside the survivors of this painful episode, as well as of all the Rwandan people. Rwanda, he said, was able to put an end to the genocide and endeavoured to rebuild the country to the point that now it is recognized as a model of resilience and courage worldwide. We entertain excellent relations with Rwanda and it is duty to avail our support to her security and political stability, socio-economic development and help her overcome the challenges faced globally. The Angolan Minister also noted that his government also recognises Rwanda’s frontline engagement on the African and global developmental agenda. He said we share our common vision translated through different joint global, continental and regional organizations such as UN, AU, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and others. António said they will join efforts for the success of such common endeavours through entities like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to build strong trading ties with other countries in Africa. We shall always stand by the Government and the people of Rwanda in their struggle against existential threats against peace, security and stability in the region. We shall work together to ensure that any destructive ideologies and genocidal threats will not spread among our population, he said. We shall ensure that our people will leave in peace and share peacefully to improve their livelihoods. I stand in grievance with you in this commemoration and pray for the victims of genocide rest in peace. Concluding his statement, António reiterated his solemn sentiments of solidarity during this commemoration and reiterated his encouraged to the Rwandan people in continuing the current course which is, without any doubt, an example of reconciliation and improvement for all. Biruta noted that 27 years ago, more than a million Tutsi were exterminated over 100 days in Rwanda by their ordinary fellow Rwandans under the instigation of the then government. The genocide against the Tutsi was stopped by the Rwanda Patriotic Front led by current Rwandan President Paul Kagame. The Minister noted that from then, barriers were deliberately erected to refuse acknowledgement of the horrendous massacres as a genocide and till today some countries are reluctant to name it by its name.
