Rwandan communities in different countries across all continent on Sunday July 4 to celebrate Liberation Day, a day on which the country mark the end of a genocidal regime which perpetuated the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi against citizens they were meant to protect. Held under the theme: “together we prosper” the Rwandan communities abroad, just like those in the country, marked the day amidst tight restrictions occasioned by Covid-19. Majority of them opted for hybrid ceremonies, where a few gathered in one place and joined by others who participated virtually. Others have their celebrations slated at future dates. In this article we tried to compile how different communities celebrated the day with majority of the events being organized by Rwandan embassies and high commissions. Rwanda in China The embassy together with the Rwandan Community in China celebrated via virtual as well as where the guest speaker was Lt Col (Rtd) Ndore Rurinda while the host was James Kimonyo, the Rwandan ambassador. Amb. Kimonyo. Kimonyo urged Rwandans to honor the sacrifices made by RPA heroes by preserving the achievements and working hard to sustain the transformation journey and build the Rwanda we want. Rurinda reminded the youth that given the complexity of contemporary challenges, they should be prepared to make sacrifices of the highest order to sustain Rwanda’s journey towards prosperity. Rwanda in India Rwandans who live in India, host a virtual celebration with High Commissioner Jacqueline Mukangira the celebration held today. Mukangira said: “Our gratitude to heroes of the Liberation Struggle, salute to those who paid their ultimate sacrifice”. Rwanda in Germany The Rwandan community in Germany held a virtual celebration on July 4 where the envoy in the country, Igor Cesar called upon them to actively contribute ytowards the country’s development, which he said is the ongoing phase of the liberation struggle. He urged them to emulate the commitment and selflessness exhibited by the liberation heroes. The ceremony also featured performances by Rwandan artistes Jules Sentore and Mereille Mukakigeli. The chairperson of Rwanda in Diaspora in Germany, Vedaste Musoni saluted all who were involved in liberation struggle for their sacrifices and also celebrated achievements registered in the last 27 years and called upon Rwandans to jealously safeguard these gains. Rwanda in Geneva Rwandans who live in Geneva will celebrate virtual on July 6 from 6pm (Geneva time) and the show will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel. Other embassies chose to use their official platforms to share messages of solidarity with their compatriots in celebrating the liberation war heroes. Rwanda in Canada The Rwandan community in Canada will hold a virtual conference featuring different speakers and the main target audience are youth. The conference will be held on Saturday July 10 and will be held under the theme History of the Liberation Struggle and was held a day earlier, on July 3. The chief guest speaker was Augustin Iyamuremye, the president of the Senate.
