Members of the Rwandan community in China were on Saturday joined by the envoys of various countries accredited to China and other officials to mark the 24th commemoration the Genocide against the Tutsi. In total, 17 envoys representing their respective countries to China attended the event. Victor Sikonina the Dean of Ambassadors in Beijing, who is also the Madagascan ambassador to China, hailed the resilience of the Rwandan people to rise from their worst moments. Describing the events of the genocide as a Tsunami, the envoy said that despite the tragedy, the country has made attempts to foster reconciliation and have development. “A collective madness with the power of a tsunami had fallen on the country, destroying everything and left over a million deaths in just a period of three months,” he said. He noted that Rwanda has achieved significant progress in terms of poverty reduction among other development indictors which he said point to the quality of leadership. “We therefore recommend the Rwandan government and its people for choosing reconciliation hence the renaissance of happiness for their people,” he said. On behalf of envoys present, he expressed concern on the role (or lack of it) of the international community to intervene during the atrocities. Ambassador of Rwanda to China, Charles Kayonga paid tribute to those that stood with Rwanda at the time such as the late Captain Mbaye Diagne, the Senegalese peacekeeper who lost his life trying to save Tutsis during the Genocide. “His acts constitute the values of honor and sacrifice that should characterize African peacekeepers” he said of the soldier. “In particular, my Ghanaian colleague is here, we salute them for refusing to withdraw their contingent from Rwanda, their stay in Kigali during the Genocide remains a symbol of Africa’s will to sacrifice for the greater good. We can forget to thank the Ethiopian peacekeepers, they brought much relief during the last ugly days of the genocide and facilitated stabilization,” he said. Of Rwanda’s progress over the last 24 years, he said the country is governed and led with an ideology of unity and people’s rights with citizens being the most treasured national resource. The national vision and national activities, he said are anchored on empowering all people irrespective of their ethnic and other identities. As the result of this progressive governance, he said Rwanda has become an active player on the international stage and ranks favorably among peers.
