The Ibuka, an organization for survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, on March 27, held its annual symposium in Brussels, where survivors, scholars, and members of the Rwandan diaspora reflected on the importance of keeping the memory and the need to combat Genocide denialism. The event, which is marks the 30th, took place as ahead of the 31st period of commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi that begins on April 7. ALSO READ: Ibuka calls for parenting that eradicates Genocide ideology Since its establishment in 1995, the symposium has been a crucial platform for discussing memory, justice, and the continued fight against genocide denial and revisionism. Ambassador César Igor, Rwanda’s representative to the European Union, said highlighted the need to combat genocide genial and distortions of Rwanda’s history. “The truth will not be suppressed; the facts remain stubborn. Today, my memory is under pressure,” Cesar said. ALSO READ: Genocide ideology trends linked to DR Congo-based FDLR “But memory, by definition, is disturbing. It questions. It confronts. It forces us to face what others prefer to forget. That is where it takes on its full meaning,” he added, emphasizing the enduring significance of remembrance in the face of genocide denial and ideology in academic and political spheres. “Today, Rwandans face great adversity but it is in adversity that they reveal their strength—and the impossible becomes possible,” he added. The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi claimed more than one million lives in three months. April 7, on which the massacres began, was designated by the United Nations the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The Genocide was stopped by the Rwanda Patriotic Front/Army, which liberated the country from divisive politics that had plagued the country since the late 1950s.
