Rwandan youth have been challenged to maintain harmony and work for sustainable national development.

This was pointed out by various speakers at the  Kwibuka conversation in Musanze District, yesterday, which attracted 350 youth.

The event was organised by the Imbuto Foundation and the Ministry of Youth and ICT.

The youth were briefed on the dark history the country went through that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Several speakers said Rwanda experienced a long period of darkness due to bad leadership that preached hatred based on ethnicity, leading to the 1994 Genocide that left over a million people dead.

They recalled how several Rwandans fled the country years before the Genocide but returned to wage an armed struggle that led to the liberation of the country.

The youth were urged to learn from history to build a better future.  

Tom Ndahiro, a genocide scholar, discussed the stages Rwanda went through from classification, dehumanisation, polarisation to discrimination, persecution, preparation, extermination and denial as well as the role of leaders and the media in preparing the Genocide.

Citing examples, he showed how hate media was used to incite the Genocide.

Brig. Gen. Joseph Nzabamwita, the Defence and Military spokesperson, talked about the liberation struggle by Rwanda Patriotic Army, unity and reconciliation efforts.

RDF’s vision is to sustain the struggle for a united country, he said.

He said it was due to patriotism that a group of Rwandan youth sacrificed all liberate the country.

 "You are the people who will build this country, you have all you need to do it,” he told the youth.

MP Jeanne d’Arc Uwimanimpaye, said Rwanda needs united patriotic youth.

Southern Province Governor Alphonse Munyentwali talked of the need to safeguard what has been achieved.

"The development of the country that you notice is based on the good leadership and citizen’s goodwill not gold or any other wealth,” he said.

Participants said the Conversation helped them to deepen their understanding of Rwandan history.

"What I got here was an addition to what I knew before and will enable me to help my compatriots, especially the elderly who still habour genocide ideology,” said Seraphine Uwingeneye, one of participants.