Rwanda honors 1994 genocide victims, calls for lessons from history
The Rwandan Embassy in Seoul marked the 31st anniversary of the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi with a solemn remembrance ceremony on Monday, urging the international community to learn from history to achieve peace and justice.
Commemorating the "Kwibuka31" ceremony, the embassy remembered the genocide that claimed the lives of more than 1 million people in just 100 days, mostly Tutsi and moderate Hutu.
Adriel Niyodusaba, representing the Rwandan community in South Korea, called the genocide 'an unimaginable tragedy' and emphasized that "kwibuka," meaning 'to remember' in Rwanda's national language Kinyarwanda, is more than mourning: 'It is a call to ensure such darkness never returns.'
He said that this year's ceremony theme — "Remembrance, Unity and Renewal" — underscores vigilance against division and extremism, as well as honoring victims by building a better, more peaceful world.
'Never again shall we allow genocide to happen. There should be no excuse for the next genocide — anywhere, anytime, against anyone in this world,' said Togolani Mavura, Tanzanian ambassador to Korea, who delivered remarks at the event as vice dean of the African Group of Ambassadors.
Mavura called on the global community to uphold the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and regional commitments under the Dar es Salaam Declaration and the Pact on Peace, Security, Stability and Development of the Great Lakes Region, which concerns Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda.
'Let us make genocide the agony of the 20th century,' Mavura urged.
'Kwibuka means 'to remember.' And in remembering, we commit ourselves to ensuring that 'Never Again' is not just a slogan — but a promise backed by action," said Rwandan Ambassador to Korea Bakuramutsa Nkubito Manzi in his remarks.
According to the United Nations, an estimated 150,000 to 250,000 women were raped during the genocide, making it one of the most horrific atrocities of the 20th century.
'It is a time to honor the victims, to comfort the survivors and to salute those who stopped the genocide and rebuilt our country from its ashes,' said Manzi.
Manzi recalled Rwanda's painful past, colonial hardships and decades of division that laid the groundwork for genocide.
'The genocide did not happen in a vacuum. It was the result of decades of ethnic-based hatred and division, introduced during colonial rule and perpetuated by successive regimes,' he said, remembering the tragedy that reached its climax on April 7, 1994, when an extremist-led interim government unleashed systematic violence.
'In 100 days, the country descended into horror. Yet from that darkness rose a new Rwanda — one that chose unity over division, reconciliation over revenge,' Manzi said.
He praised the Rwandan people's resilience and their journey toward healing through the Government of National Unity and the principle of 'Ndi Umunyarwanda' ("I am Rwandan"), which emphasizes shared identity and reconciliation.
'Survivors had to live beside perpetrators. Hatred lingered. Trust was broken. But Rwanda prioritized reconciliation and built a foundation of resilience, dignity and shared identity,' he said.
Manzi also addressed current challenges, including regional tensions and unresolved historical responsibilities.
'The genocide ideology must be challenged wherever it exists, and those who deny or distort this tragedy must be held accountable,' he said, adding that remembering is not just a reflection of the past but a call to action.
sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com
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