Today, 7th April 2022, the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the People’s Republic of China was joined by officials from the government of China, diplomatic envoys, representatives of international organizations, friends of Rwanda and members of Rwandan community living in China during the 28th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (Kwibuka28). The event was held at the Embassy premises in Beijing under the theme, ‘Remember – Unite – Renew’. 

This commemorative event is organized annually to remember and honor the victims who were brutally murdered during horrific 100 days of the worst genocide in the modern history. From the early morning hours of 7th April 1994, the state machinery and the militia who had been mobilized and effectively trained to kill, descended on innocent Tutsi population and mercilessly slaughtered them. Moderate Hutu who resisted and fiercely opposed the genocide or attempted to hide the Tutsi victims were equally murdered.

During this event, Ambassador of Rwanda to China James Kimonyo said that some of those who committed the genocide against the Tutsi are still at large. “I therefore appeal to you as a family of global nations to honor the indictments issued by the government of Rwanda to bring the concerned suspects  to justice in Rwanda or at least in your respective jurisdictions”, he said.

On the issue of genocide denial, the Ambassador remarked that it is intended to destroy the memory of what happened and if left unchecked, it could potentially form the basis of another cycle of genocide. In this respect he emphasized the need to enact laws against denial of the genocide against Tutsi. He thanked France and Belgium for having instituted these laws in their legal systems. 

The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Ambassador Wu Peng expressed solidarity with the people of Rwanda and survivors in particular during this period when the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda are remembered and honored. On Rwanda’s recovery and transformation, he commended the visionary leadership of His Excellency President Paul Kagame and the resilience of the people of Rwanda, while reiterating China’s commitment to building a shared future. 

During the event, Ms. Consolee Nishimwe, a survivor of genocide who at the time was 14 years old shared a heartbreaking story of the brutal murder of her father and three brothers and how she was raped and deliberately infected with HIV. She ended her testimony by narrating her healing journey: “Despite my horrific experience and the things I have endured, I chose not to be held back by the past but to live with a sense of hope and optimism”, she said. Nishimwe is the author of the memoir ‘Tested to the Limit: A Genocide Survivor’s Story of Pain, Resilience and Hope’. 

This remembrance day has been recognized and designated by the United Nations as the “International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda”. The African Union on its part adopted a resolution to mark 7th April as a day of Remembrance of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.  

Both the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee and the Permanent Representative of the African Union (AU) in China, Ambassador Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman attended the event. 

The United Nations Secretary General’s commemorative message was delivered by Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee. The Secretary General condemned the genocide against the Tutsi and expressed deep regrets of the failure of the international community for its inaction to stop the atrocities. He hailed Rwanda’s remarkable journey of recovery as “a powerful testament of the human spirit’s ability to heal even the deepest wounds and emerge from the darkest depths to rebuild a stronger society”.

On his part, Ambassador Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman, noted that the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi which took place in Rwanda was the greatest tragedy that ever happened on the African continent. 

“We want to tell humanity that such horrors must not happen again, neither in Africa nor elsewhere in the world. To attain this goal, we have to unite together in fighting against genocide and its ideology as well as its denial,” Rahamtalla noted. 

This commemoration event was also marked by a documentary screening, candle lighting and a poem titled ‘What You Have Overcome’ performed by Rwandan children living in Beijing. In the next 100 days, the Rwandan community in China will join the rest of Rwandans in remembrance of the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. 

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