Local media on April 7 reported a story of a 23-year-old woman who allegedly posted on her social media a message that calls for violence against the Tutsi and that she would never commemorate the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi. Thirty-one years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, survivors continue to face an unbearable burden—not only of memory, but of ongoing abuse. Verbal harassment, physical intimidation, and acts of violence persist in communities where healing should be taking root. ALSO READ: Prime Minister warns against attacks on genocide survivors It is especially troubling that many of these attacks are carried out by individuals born after the genocide. This generation did not witness the horrors of 1994, yet some have inherited hatred instead of empathy. This is not only a failure of memory but a failure of humanity. Education, dialogue, and remembrance must serve as tools to ensure that history is never repeated and that survivors are treated with dignity, not disdain. Survivors are not just living testaments of our country's darkest chapter—they are also the heart of its resilience. Their continued courage deserves protection, not persecution. Every insult, every threat, every act of violence against them is an attack on truth, justice, and reconciliation. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s reconciliation journey, 31 years after the Genocide We must speak out. We must stand with survivors. Silence in the face of such attacks is complicity. It is the responsibility of families, schools, communities, and institutions to educate the post-genocide generation about the truth. It is our collective duty to foster understanding and reject all forms of genocide denial and minimization. Rwanda has made great strides toward peace and unity, but we cannot claim progress while survivors live in fear. Let us be a nation that honors their pain with protection, their stories with respect, and their lives with safety.
