The 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda should be an occasion for Africans to learn from history and prevent similar atrocities in the future, says the African Union.
The AU Commission made the call on Tuesday, April 2, as it announced that it will hold an event marking the 30th commemoration (also known as Kwibuka30) of the Genocide which claimed more than one million lives.
The commemorative event co-organised by the Rwandan embassy in Addis Ababa will take place on April 7 when Kwibuka30 activities begin, and will include a walk to remember at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital.
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Since 2010, the AU has organised annual events in commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which spanned 100 days. Massacres began on April 7, 1994 and spread nationwide and were stopped in July 1994 by the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA).
"The year 2024 signifies the 30th anniversary of those tragic days, a significant moment to honor the deceased, stand in solidarity with survivors, and join together to prevent such atrocities from occurring ever again,” the AU Peace and Security Council said in a statement.
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Kwibuka30 "presents an opportunity to gain insights into Rwanda's journey of healing, reconciliation and nation-building,” read the statement.
"The overall purpose of this annual commemoration is to continuously awaken greater awareness of the African peoples and the international community about the value of life and humanity, and to renew our collective commitment to protect and uphold fundamental human rights.”
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In 2018, the United Nations designated April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Commemoration events are held annually at the UN headquarters in New York.
In September 2023, four memorials of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, a decision lauded as historic in the fight against persistent genocide denial and revisionism.
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However, the 30th commemoration will take place at a time genocide denial remains persistent. And there is growing hate speech in the region, especially in eastern DR Congo where Tutsi communities are persecuted and killed, with the involvement of the FDLR, a Congo-based militia linked to the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
The violence against the Congolese Tutsi communities has raised concerns within the region and the international community.
In 2022, the United Nations Office for the Prevention of Genocide said the violence in eastern DR Congo should serve as a "warning sign” in a region with genocide history.