Rwanda Will Commemorate 30 Years Since 1994 Genocide With Week of Remembrance

From Sunday, April 7, Rwandans will commemorate 30 years since the 1994 genocide. The annual remembrance event will continue the tradition of somber yearly memorials. President Paul Kagame will begin the week with the usual visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial grounds, believed to be where about 250,000 people were mass buried.

Tagged “Kwibuka (Remembrance) 30,” Kagame will be joined by top government officials and international dignitaries at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where he will deliver a speech, lay a large wreath in memory of the dead, and light the Flame of Remembrance. The flame will be on for 100 days, signifying the length of time that the genocide lasted.

For the next week starting on Sunday, a period of national mourning will be observed. In those seven days, national flags will fly at half mast, sports events and movies not connected to the genocide remembrance will be prohibited on terrestrial TV broadcasts, music will not be played in public, and the general public is expected to conduct itself in a solemn manner. Across the country, there will be candlelight processions, as well as other memorial gatherings.

Organized in collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of Rwanda to UNESCO, the United Nations will also be hosting a commemoration event at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, on Sunday. In 2003, the UN General Assembly declared April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 genocide.

Widely referred to as the last mass genocide of the 20th century, ethnically charged killings saw Hutu extremists murdering an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates who were against the violence. While Rwanda has rebuilt in the years since, the effects of the genocide are still felt in the country. Mass graves are still being unearthed nearly 30 years later.

About two-thirds of the people currently in Rwanda were born after the genocide, but the violent occurrence is taught in schools as part of a controlled curriculum. This means all Rwandans are informed about the genocide, ensuring that the significance of the observance isn’t lost on anyone.