Rwanda Warns Against Growing Hatred, Disunity That Could Lead To Genocide

Rwanda has warned of the dangers of allowing hatred and disunity to fester, claiming that this could lead to genocide like the one it witnessed over 30 years ago, when a million people were killed in 100 days.
Christophe Bazivamo, Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, stated this at the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Abuja.
The commemoration is held under the multi-year theme “Remember, Unite, and Renew.”
Bazivamo stated that the path to long-term peace necessitates constant vigilance, adding, “As we renew, we restate our unbreakable pledge to combat intolerance, discrimination, ethnic hatred, hate speeches, genocide revisionism, and denial in all their forms.”
“Unfortunately, this is taking place today just beyond Rwanda’s borders in the Great Lakes region. We must never allow the embers of hatred to reignite.”
The High Commissioner went on to say, “On this Kwibuka 30, together, we can ensure that the victims’ memories become a powerful force for good, inspiring future generations to choose peace over hate, unity over division, and hope over despair.”
“This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including incorporating course lessons about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi into schools and establishing memory symbols in remembrance of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi to educate the young and the next generation on the importance of combating hate ideologies and standing up to all forms of discrimination and divisionism.” Let us work together to create a world where such atrocities do not occur again.”
Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, conveyed the Nigerian government’s condolences to survivors of the genocide during his remarks.
Tuggar, represented by former ambassador to Sudan Safiu Olaniyan, stated, “Genocide should never be allowed to occur again.”
Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, urged the world to stand together against all forms of hatred and discrimination.
Guterres, whose speech was read at the event by UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, stated: “To those who seek to divide us, we must deliver a clear, unequivocal, and urgent message: never again.
“We can draw a direct link between the senseless slaughter of one million Tutsis — as well as some Hutu and others who opposed the genocide — and the decades of hate speech that preceded it, fueled by ethnic tensions and the long shadow of colonialism.
“The voices of extremism, division, and hatred are reawakening humanity’s darkest impulses today, all over the world.
“On this solemn day of remembrance, let us pledge to stand united against all forms of hatred and discrimination.
In his remarks, retired Nigerian Navy admiral Samuel Alade, who witnessed the genocide in Rwanda, said, “I commend the Rwandans’ tenacity of purpose and commitment to making their nation an example of relevance.”