As Rwanda commemorated the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, on Monday, April 7, the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, called on the world to reflect on how Genocide unfolded, urging for efforts to combat hate speech, which is one of the precursors to genocide. More than one million lives were lost during the Genocide against the Tutsi, which lasted for three months. On Monday, Rwanda began 100 days of the 31st commemoration period for the Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Kagame urges Rwandans to fight for their dignified lives “Today we mourn the one million children, women and men slaughtered in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda,” Guterres said in a statement on Monday. “This appalling chapter in human history was not a spontaneous frenzy of horrendous violence. It was intentional, premeditated and planned -- including through hate speech that inflamed division, and spread lies and dehumanization.” ALSO READ: April 7, 1994: The day Rwanda plunged into Genocide The UN chief said the world was once again witnessing “the days of division.” “The narrative of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ is ascendant, polarizing societies” he said. “Digital technologies are being weaponized to further inflame hate, stoke division, and spread lies.” ALSO READ: UN confirms FDLR active in DR Congo, warns of genocide Guterres expressed his concerns amid renewed hate speech and violence against communities such as the Congolese Tutsi, Banyamulenge and Hema have multiplied. The UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu has issued multiple warnings about the risks of Genocide in eastern DR Congo in part due to the presence of the FDLR, a UN-sanctioned group linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. “We must learn from the terrible history of the genocide in Rwanda, and act to stem the tide of hate speech, stop disunity and discontent mutating into violence, uphold human rights, and ensure accountability,” Guterres said. “On this day of remembrance, let's commit to be vigilant and to work together to build a world of justice and dignity for all – in honour of all the victims, and survivors of the genocide in Rwanda.” ALSO READ: 31 years later, Rwanda remembers Guterres called on the world to learn from the terrible history of Rwanda’s 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. “While we remember how these crimes originated, we need to reflect on how they resonate today. As we recall how these crimes came about, we must also reflect on resonance with our own times.” He urged all states to deliver on commitments made in the Global Digital Compact to tackle online falsehoods and hate, to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to become parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
