The Rwandan community in India and friends of Rwanda on Monday, April 7, observed the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. The event was also attended by Indian government officials, members of the diplomatic corps in Delhi, business leaders, academics, media representatives, and members of civil society. ALSO READ: Kwibuka 31: Our role to preserve the memory remains The commemoration activity began with an exhibition of artworks on the Genocide against the Tutsi and Rwanda’s reconstruction from the tragedy, which was attended by more than 600 students. During the event, Rwanda’s High Commissioner to India, Jacqueline Mukangira reflected on the gravity of the atrocities committed during the Genocide, where over one million Tutsi were brutally killed in just 100 days. She noted that it was perpetrated by a government that had vowed to exterminate an entire Tutsi population as the world watched in silence. “In fact, we lost 10 percent of our population, simply because the government of that time said the only way to save the country was to kill all the Tutsi, as they were all marked for extermination,” Mukangira said. https://x.com/MUKANGIRA1/status/1909163293979050409?t=DYFwhv-kwjHpsE2R4Fx2VQ&s=19 She noted the brutality with which the Genocide was implemented, with pregnant women slaughtered, babies killed, and rape used as a weapon, and even cannibalism. “The predators used the most atrocious killing methods to inflict as much pain to the victims, who were hacked with sharp machetes, nailed clubs,” Mukangira noted. “Pregnant Tutsi women had their wombs opened as the killers wanted to make sure both the mother and the baby were not left alive. Some victims were buried alive, babies were smashed on walls and even killers used to eat the hearts of the victims.” She explained how the country became a hopeless and failed state. The High Commissioner commended the courage of the Rwandese Patriotic Army (RPA), led by President Paul Kagame, for stopping the Genocide and confronting the international inaction. Mukangira condemned the United Nations’ failure to prevent the massacre, especially recalling how the UN peacekeeping force, under Canadian General Roméo Dallaire, was denied reinforcements and eventually withdrawn, despite pleading for support. She cited the tragic example of the Kicukiro Technical School (ETO) in Kigali, where 2,000 Tutsi sought refuge under UN peacekeepers, only for the Belgian contingent to withdraw, leaving them at the mercy of the killers. “Their Memorial was erected at Nyanza in Kicukiro district, in remembrance of the lives gone, but also to reflect on the betrayal of the Belgian peacekeepers.” ALSO READ: Belgium's links with DR Congo-FDLR alliance 'leaves no room for ambiguity', says minister A lesson yet to be learned Mukangira condemned the continued presence and support of genocidal forces in DR Congo, specifically the FDLR, a militia linked to Genocide against the Tutsi. She expressed grave concerns over international silence regarding the FDLR's operations and alliances with Congolese, Wazalendo, Burundian forces and SADAC forces, noting that “hate speech, violence, and anti-Tutsi rhetoric are again on the rise in the region.” The commemoration also served as a reminder of global responsibilities. She applauded countries that have erected memorials to honor Genocide victims and prevent future atrocities. “Genocide memorials are not just about the past; they are instruments for education, dialogue, and prevention. Today, we have a country that emerged from the ashes, and is thriving because it has chosen to be united and reconciled with itself and with history, to be accountable and to think big,” she added. Mukangira urged all UN member states to uphold their commitments under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and the UN Security Council Resolution 2150 of April 16, 2014, which calls for justice and the extradition or prosecution of genocide fugitives. ALSO READ: 31 years later, Rwanda remembers Shombi Sharp, the UN Resident Coordinator in India, delivered the message of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who urged for global efforts to combat hate speech. “As we recall how these crimes came about, we must also reflect on their resonance to our own times. The narrative of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ is ascendant, polarizing societies. Digital technologies are being weaponized to further inflame hate, stoke division, and spread lies,” he noted. “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,” said Shombi. “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,” he added.
