Rwandans living abroad gathered throughout the past week to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, reflecting on the country’s transformation, and renewed their collective commitment to unity and resilience with a common call for the world to grasp the gravity of the atrocity. ALSO READ: Kagame urges Rwandans to fight for their dignified lives The 31st edition of commemorations began on April 7 across the world, organized by Rwandan embassies, diaspora communities, and friends of Rwanda. They featured a variety of activities, including lighting walks to remember, survivor testimonies, film screenings, panel discussions, and performances. IN PICTURES: How Kwibuka 31 in diaspora unfolded All over the world, apart from countries such as Burundi and DR Congo where the governments are spreading a genocide denial campaign, citizens and regional and continental organisations also joined Rwanda in commemoration. ALSO READ: Our role to preserve the memory remains In Belgium, Rwandans living in the city of Liège commemorated with no official representative from the city or national level officials attending the event, unlike previous years. Switzerland showed solidarity with Rwanda through a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Memorial Stele in Geneva’s Place des Nations. It was organized by the Rwandan Embassy and the Permanent Mission to the UN, in collaboration with Ibuka Mémoire et Justice Section Suisse. ALSO READ: April 14, 1994: Genocidaires behead Tutsi man to “examine” his brains In the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, the Minister of State, “hailed Rwanda’s unity and reconciliation”. In the United States, commemorations were held across several states to educate and raise awareness about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. In North Carolina and Georgia, U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Reverend Raphael Warnock shared messages of support. At Purdue University in Indiana, students, faculty, and Rwandans gathered for discussions on Rwanda’s history, resilience, and recovery. ALSO READ: April 12, 1994: ‘The signal for genocidaires to move toward the apocalypse’ James Madison University in Virginia hosted its first-ever commemoration, highlighting testimonies on anti-Tutsi discrimination and the RPF’s role in ending the genocide. In the DMV area, the Rwandan community partnered with the Catholic University of America and His Eminence Cardinal Wilton Gregory for a well-attended and solemn ceremony. Greg Abbott, the Government of Texas officially recognized and endorsed the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the 1994 Genocide, reflecting on the tragic events in which over million people were killed. The Rwandan community in Japan, in partnership with Josai International University and the Rwandan Embassy, on April 7, held a commemoration event to honor victims of the 1994 Genocide. Nursing students from the university who had recently visited Rwanda shared reflections, noting how the visit was eye-opening as many had limited knowledge of Rwanda’s history and the genocide. On April 7, Rwandans in India held a commemoration at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi. The event was attended by Indian officials, diplomats, business leaders, academics, media, and civil society members. In Nigeria, APR Women Volleyball Club joined the Rwandan community in Abuja to commemorate at a ceremony attended by members of the diplomatic corps, players, journalists, and friends of Rwanda from other embassies. The Rwandan community in Ethiopia, alongside AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, held a commemoration at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. In the United Kingdom, the London and Scotland commemorations drew hundreds on April 7, including members of the diplomatic corps, UK government, Commonwealth officials and friends of Rwanda. Rwanda’s High Commissioner to the UK, Johnston Busingye, reiterated the call for trying or extraditing six known Rwandan genocide fugitives who are still roaming freely in European country. Rwandans in Russia on April 7 also held a commemoration event in Moscow, attended by government officials, members of the diplomatic corps and friends of Rwanda. In China, Amb James Kimonyo emphasized that ‘Never Again’ must be more than a plea — it must be a firm commitment. He called on the global community to draw lessons from the tragic events that unfolded in Rwanda in 1994. On April 11, an event to mark the 31st Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide was held at Ggolo Genocide Memorial, in Mpigi District, with Rwandans in Uganda paying homage to over 4,000 genocide victims interred there after they were thrown in rivers and ended up in Lake Victoria. H.E @jrutabana thanked the Government of Uganda, Rwandan Community in Uganda, Friends of Rwanda and all Members present for joining Rwanda in commemorating for the 31st time the Genocide against the Tutsi in #Rwanda. pic.twitter.com/mXiejbsGxF — RwandainUganda (@RwandainUganda) April 11, 2025 Alice Kaboyo, Uganda's Minister of State in charge of Luwero, and the head of the diplomatic corps, Amb. Mohammed Suleiman, joined Rwanda's High Commissioner to Uganda, Joseph Rutabana, in lighting a flame of remembrance. Ambassador Ak attended the commemoration ceremony held today at the Ggolo Memorial Site, for the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. We pay tribute to all those who lost their lives during one of the worst atrocities in human history.#Kwibuka31 @RwandainUganda pic.twitter.com/mralT8jgGB — Türkiye in Uganda (@TC_KampalaBE) April 11, 2025 The Rwandan High Commission in Zambia, supported by the Malawian government, civil society, and international partners, also organised a commemoration event attended by 200 people in Lilongwe, Malawi, on April 11. The guest of honour, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Malawi, Mwaiwawo Pole Pole, emphasized the shared responsibility to uphold human dignity and justice. Malawi’s role in fostering cross-border unity and supporting Rwanda’s reconciliation journey was lauded. The commemoration concluded with a renewed pledge to uphold the lessons of history and work toward a peaceful, inclusive world. The people who attended underscored the importance of global solidarity in combating genocide denial and revisionism. On April 11, the cathedral of Brasília, in Brazil, was illuminated with the colours of the Rwandan flag in honour of the victims of the 1994 Genocide. The cathedral of Brasília was illuminated with the colours of the Rwandan flag in honour of the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. #Kwibuka31 : https://t.co/SR4UzYOPT9 pic.twitter.com/uqHK1tn27x — Rwanda in Brazil (@RwandaInBrazil) April 11, 2025 Rwanda Security Forces in Mozambique and with Mozambican security organs marked the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide in the port city of Mocímboa da Praia, on April 13. ALSO READ: Kwibuka 31: Rwandan peacekeepers in CAR, South Sudan commemorate Rwandan contingents in UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and Central African Republic, commemorated on April 7.
