The President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, yesterday paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Ouattara is in Rwanda on a three-day visit.

The President, accompanied by a high level delegation from Côte d’Ivoire, was guided through the different sections of the memorial during which he was explained about the history of division in Rwanda, and the Genocide against the Tutsi and its consequences.

After the guided tour of the museum, Ouattara laid a wreath on mass graves containing the remains of more than 250,000 victims.

In his message, the President, who was accompanied by the Minister for Sports and Culture Julienne Uwacu and Jean Damascene Bizimana, the executive secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), extended his condolences to the people of Rwanda.

"Our heartfelt condolences and our compassion to the people of Rwanda,” Ouattara wrote in the visitors’ book at the memorial site.

Speaking at the media after his visit, Ouattara commended the country’s leadership and said that what happened should not happen again.

"I also hope that the journey to rebuild this nation (Rwanda) will carry on, and wish that this won’t happen again,” he noted.

The Ivorian president arrived in Rwanda on Wednesday night and is expected to take part at the presentation of Mo Ibrahim Prize this weekend in Kigali.

The prize will be presented to former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw