First Lady urges leaders to confront genocide denial, hate speech

First Lady Jeannette Kagame has called on leaders to take a stronger stand against genocide ideology, hate speech and misinformation, and reject narratives that distort the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi. The First Lady, who is also the Chairperson of Unity Club Intwararumuri, said this on Friday, May 22, during a consultative meeting on the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and the struggle to stop it. ALSO READ: Kagame warns against genocide denial, historical distortion The meeting held at Parliament brought together over 500 participants, including members of Unity Club, government officials, Members of Parliament, political party leaders and other dignitaries. Earlier in the day, they had visited the Campaign Against Genocide Museum, housed within the Parliamentary buildings, which presents how the Genocide was stopped by the former RPA forces. The Parliament building, formerly known as Conseil National de Development (CND), hosted RPF politicians and a 600-man RPA protection force since December 28, 1993, in line with the implementation of the Arusha Agreement. The museum tells the story of RPA’s operations and its rescue efforts for civilians shortly after the genocide started in 1994. Opening the discussions, First Lady noted that when observing the resurgence of hate speech in different places, including in the region, leaves people wondering whether humanity has learned anything from history. ALSO READ: How genocide ideology was built, spread and executed “But as Rwandans, we cannot distance ourselves from such situations or pretend they have nothing to do with us. We know exactly where hatred can lead a country,” she said. She stressed that genocide ideology continues to appear in different forms, including writings and narratives aimed at distorting history, minimising the Genocide against the Tutsi, or undermining the struggle fought to stop it. “Genocide ideology is like weeds in a field: if you do not uproot them completely, they grow back and continue causing destruction.” “As people who lived through this history, we carry two major responsibilities. First, to continue telling and teaching the truth. History does not belong only to survivors or to those who experienced it directly; it belongs to our nation as a whole,” she added. “Second, we must continue building a strong foundation so that future generations inherit a united, peaceful, well-governed Rwanda that is respected around the world.” Mrs Kagame also cautioned that silence in the face of misinformation weakens national unity, urging leaders to take a more active role in defending the country’s historical narrative. “As leaders, your voices carry particular weight because you know the truth. If we disagree with what they say when they claim to defend our rights, remaining silent does not help us.” She further noted that reconciliation and healing require continuous engagement with truth, not just historical court processes or testimonies. “We should not deceive ourselves into thinking that healing from trauma ended with Gacaca courts or with sharing testimonies of the horrors people endured during the Genocide. Healing without truth is incomplete.” The First Lady urged leaders to reflect on their role in safeguarding what has been achieved and to actively challenge forces that seek to undermine national cohesion. “We must ask ourselves whether we are doing enough to fight against forces seeking to destroy what we have built, and whether we are setting an example that will allow this journey to continue into the future.”

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First Lady urges leaders to confront genocide denial, hate speech