Kwibuka 30 is upon us. It has been 30 years since evil befell our nation. It has been 30 years since darkness overtook light and plundered our beautiful nation into the abyss of despair. It is very hard to imagine that 30 years ago, this very month, millions of people were being hacked to death; children massacred, women violated, men mutilated. Just the thought of it brings pain and sadness to the heart. But this is our history, and we must reckon with it.
This year is special because we look back and remember for the 30th time that we did not die, that we did not cease to live. The murderous regime and genocidaires thought that they could bring about an apocalypse upon the nation, to rid it of those whom they called snakes and cockroaches, they foolishly thought they could exterminate a people and wipe them off the face of the earth. But how could they? They did not create man, and thus, cannot wipe him off the face of the earth. Sibomana! Those arrogant fools thought they had the power to kill. How wrong they were. Rwanda is still alive, and trending in a better and more prosperous path than ever before in its post-colonial history.
Our continued progress is a testament to the fact that we are a strong people. Together, no evil can overcome us. But in order to keep growing in our strength, we must look back to our brutal history and sit with our pain, grieve, remember, and then unite and renew our commitment to keep fighting. I've heard it said that Rwandans are resilient not because of our past, but in spite of our past. We are not strong just because we did not die. We are strong because we faced death and decided that living is a much better option. This is very true. Kwibuka serves as a reminder of who we are, reaffirming our identity and offering us the strength to keep pressing on in life.
A few years ago, I embarked on a journey of reading miraculous survival stories written by survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The firsthand information from survivors is real, raw, and profoundly impactful. One of the first books I read was by Frida Gashumba, titled "Frida: Chosen to Die, Destined to Live.” Frida’s story, along with many others I've since read, has greatly impacted me, offering a perspective on life that highlights its brevity and the importance of living life to the fullest while we can. This 30th year since the Genocide, we have to ponder on such stories because they help us not lose focus of what is important.
Despite the momentous significance of this year’s Kwibuka, sadly there are more genocide deniers than ever before. For some reason, they are all coming out of the woodwork. This year, a plethora of deniers have been given airtime, audience, and platforms to spew their malicious hatred. Not surprising, however. There seems to be something inherently triggering to a certain part of the world when supposedly backward Africans understand their value and worth and decide to pursue their God-given right of dignity by fighting for a life worth living. Indeed, it is a God-given right to live, and live to the best of our ability, we shall. That is why we have to work hard, day and night, to achieve a life that grants all Rwandans a better future, and honors our beloved brethren that were massacred 30 years ago.
The Holy Scriptures, in John 10:10 say that "the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” In 1994, the enemy sought to steal the future of our young people, the enemy sought to kill and exterminate all Tutsis, the enemy sought to destroy our nation and burn it into oblivion. But the enemy lost. As the scriptures proclaim, we clung to the one who gives life—not just any average life, but the best there is—and chose to live abundantly. We are not about to abandon or misuse the opportunity to live well. Rwandans have tasted hell, and we are not about to go back to that place of torment. We are focused on living life for generations to come, and this year, this memorable 30th year, with all our energy and zeal, we remember, unite, and renew our commitment to this premise.