Religious leaders last week, finally acknowledged to not acting timely, to have prevented the 1994 Tutsi Genocide in which over a million people lost their lives.

This was during a consultative workshop with the United Religions Initiative (URI) in conjunction with the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC).

"After acknowledging failure to stop the Genocide, we have accepted and understood the role of religion in promoting, unity and reconciliation, the core factors of lasting peace and development,” Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana, said Friday evening, while marking the end of the Unity and Reconciliation Week.

"We have thus resolved to scrutinise what happened before the Genocide so that we never repeat the same mistakes,” he added.

The Islamic leader pointed out that everyone should find pride in telling the truth and put in place an open floor where free dialogue can be conducted.

On behalf of the other religious heads, Harerimana pledged to ensure unity and reconciliation by visiting and sensitising Genocide convicts.

"We shall also solicit support to help widows and those orphaned by the Genocide,” he pledged.

The Mufti ended by requesting all concerned authorities to declare a National Prayer Day and celebrate the National Peace Day on September 21, like the rest of the world.

URI’s Africa office Director Ambassador Mussie Hailu encouraged people to stop blaming each other but instead work towards developing a conscience that transcends all differences among nations, ethnic groups, races, religious beliefs and opinions through dialogue.

"I do not believe that the task of creating world peace should be left to either the United Nations or governments alone. Each and everyone of us should also be a stakeholder for peace to prevail on earth and there’s a need to work together,” Mussie advised.

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