As the national week of commemorating the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi comes to a close, the duty to remember does not. The ceremonies may recede, the crowds may thin, and the public messages may become less frequent, but commemoration itself must continue with undiminished purpose over the remaining 100 days and beyond. This is not merely a matter of observing a calendar but a moral obligation for everyone. For many genocide survivors, this season is not marked by official events alone. It is a painful return to memories that never fully fade. During this period, trauma can deepen, loneliness can grow, and the weight of loss can become heavier. That is why the end of the commemorative week should not signal a retreat in national attention. If anything, it should sharpen it. The call now is for sustained closeness to the most vulnerable survivors. They need more than words of sympathy. They need practical solidarity. That means checking in on them, standing beside them, helping meet material needs where they arise, and ensuring they are not left to carry this burden in silence. It also means offering moral support that reminds them they are not alone, that the country remembers, and that their pain is neither forgotten nor ignored. At the same time, commemoration must remain a living shield against the forces that seek to distort history. Genocide denial and revisionism have not disappeared. They continue to mutate, finding expression in coded language, online falsehoods, and deliberate attempts to blur responsibility. Such tendencies must be confronted firmly, consistently, and without apology. This is a fight for truth, and truth cannot be defended only during one week of national mourning. It demands vigilance from institutions, communities, families, and individuals alike. Every effort to preserve testimony, correct falsehoods, and educate the younger generation is part of the work of protecting memory. The end of the week, then, is not the end of commemoration. It is a reminder that remembrance must be sustained in action. Rwanda has shown that memory can be a source of unity, dignity, and resilience. The task now is to carry that spirit through the 100 days with compassion for survivors and unwavering resolve against denial. That is how a nation honours the dead: not only in ceremonies, but in steadfast care for the living and in the fearless defence of the truth.
