Every year on April 7, Rwandans and the global community reflect on the history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, one of the most tragic events in modern history. The period of extreme violence which resulted in the loss of over one million innocent lives in a campaign of mass murder. The genocide did not occur without warning. For over three decades, signs of impending violence were evident, beginning in 1959 when Tutsi men, women, and children were killed, forced into exile as well as displacing them in places with poor life conditions where they were expected to die. This came as a result from the establishment of the PARMEHUTU Party created by Belgium. The Party released four successive manifestos on 9 October 1959, 27 August 1961, 21 June 1964, and 7 June 1969, respectively, which claimed that Rwanda belonged exclusively to the Hutu and that the elimination of the Tutsi was a government policy. The colonial policies introduced by Belgium, divided Rwandans into distinct ethnic groups—Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa—and asserted that these groups were fundamentally different, despite having had a different meaning before. The divide-and-rule strategy sowed deep divisions among Rwandans, resulting in hatred toward the Tutsi population. Belgian colonial policies laid the foundation for ethnic discrimination and genocide ideology. This hatred manifested in brutal attacks against Tutsi populations over the years, including massacres such as the infamous 'Blood Christmas' in 1963 and the Bigogwe massacre in 1991, among others. Additionally, there were forced displacements like gathering the remaining Tutsi in the country and moving them from different parts of the country to Bugesera—a process that began in 1959 and continued beyond. Bugesera was a region believed to be infested with deadly tsetse flies. It is obvious that these actions aimed to try genocide, eliminate, or exile Tutsi population. The political system created by Belgian colonisers deliberately entrenched ethnic divisions and set the stage for future atrocities. In 1982, Uganda's then-President Milton Obote expelled Rwandan refugees from his country. Rwanda's President at the time, Juvénal Habyarimana, echoed discriminatory sentiments by claiming that Rwanda was like a full glass of water that could not accommodate returning refugees. Such statements reinforced the notion that Tutsi refugees had no place in their homeland. This systemic discrimination and exclusion led to resistance efforts by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a predominantly Rwandan refugee rebel group. The RPF sought to reclaim their right to live in their country of origin and end decades of human rights violations against Tutsi communities. Their fight also highlighted the failure of international bodies like the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces (UNAMIR), which stood by as atrocities unfolded. Back to 1948, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, vowing Never Again genocide and mass atrocities. Yet, just 46 years later, over one million Tutsi were brutally butchered in broad daylight while UN peacekeepers failed to intervene effectively. Instead of protecting civilians, they evacuated their personnel and pets while others facilitated the escape of perpetrators responsible for orchestrating genocide. Even today—31 years after the genocide—massacres rooted in ethnic divisions continue in the great lakes region like eastern DR Congo, where Congolese Tutsi are persecuted, silenced, and portrayed as the wrongdoers. This ongoing violence suggests that global institutions may have forgotten their promises or chosen indifference. Genocides persist despite international commitments to prevent them. The phrase Never Again must move beyond rhetoric; it must become a lived reality. The world must learn early intervention and prevention from the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), which stopped the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Their intervention serves as a powerful lesson: action is essential in preventing atrocities. As we commemorate this tragic event, we honor the lives lost and remind global leaders of their failures during Rwanda's darkest days. The failure that is echoed today in the ongoing plight of Congolese Tutsis, who have endured a genocidal threat for over 31 years from the FDLR genocidaires, in collaboration with the DR Congo government and various armed groups This year’s commemoration was also a call to vigilance. If lessons are not learned and acted upon, similar genocides could occur again in this region as genocide threats such as discrimination, hate speeches, dehumanization, and so forth constantly keep emerging. The phrase Never Again should not merely be a slogan confined to books—it must guide actions and policies worldwide to ensure such horrors are never repeated.
