The Rwandan community in Seattle, Washington, came together on Saturday, February 22, for its first general assembly of 2025 in event that provided an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of 2024, honour Rwandan heroes. They also highlighted the need to tell people in the United States about the situation in the Great Lakes Region and why Rwanda should not be blamed for the conflict in eastern DR Congo, where the Congolese government collaborates with FDLR militia in the war against M23 rebels. ALSO READ: DR Congo undermines regional peace efforts, says Rwandan envoy The Rwandan government has for years expressed concerns about the presence in DR Congo of the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned terrorist group linked to the Genocide against the Tutsi. As Rwanda faces allegations of involvement in the eastern DR Congo conflict, Andrew Ndayambaje, president of the Rwandan community Seattle, said Rwandans in the US need to use all available platforms to share the true story of their country’s progress and the need to defend itself to prevent a recurrence of the circumstances that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Rwandans in USA commemorate Genocide “Please reach out to your colleagues, friends, social media, churches, and any other audience to share our truthful side of the story. Explain how Rwanda is [concerned about] the same perpetrators of the Genocide and their allies, who are determined to undermine the remarkable progress the country has made over the past 30 years.” Rwanda also stresses that the conflict between DR Congo and the M23 rebels should be resolved through African-led political initiatives. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: Rwandan envoy on why Germany, Denmark should back African-led initiative The gathering attracted officials, dignitaries, leaders of other African organisations, friends of Rwanda, and community members from across the state. Ndayambaje also noted the significance of their first assembly in 2025 and the celebration of Rwandan national heroes. The National Heroes Day is celebrated every year on February 1. “The Rwandan Community in Washington is particularly delighted to gather for the first time this year to celebrate and consolidate last year's gains,” said Ndayambaje. “We also honour our Rwandan heroes, some of whom liberated our country from the genocidal regime and others who stood up for what is right, rejecting the divisive politics that unfortunately led to the worst period in the history of our nation.” They also discussed the implementation of a recently awarded $50,000 grant from the City of Bellevue. ALSO READ: Nduhungirehe lauds diaspora role in devt as remittances surpass Rwf700bn The funding will support opioid education, prevention, and connection services, with a particular focus on Kinyarwanda-speaking communities and East Africans living in Washington State. Ndayambaje noted the significance of the grant funding, stating that it would enhance community efforts in raising awareness and educating people about the dangers of opioid and drug abuse, particularly among youth and adults. The participants also committed to supporting homegrown solutions in Rwanda, such as the “Dusangire Lunch” initiative, which, aims to provide nutritious meals to all schoolchildren.
