The umbrella association of organisations of the survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi (IBUKA), in the Washington metropolitan area, has proposed that a memorial site be set up there for memory preservation purposes.
It made the proposal as Rwandans and friends of Rwanda in the Washington metropolitan area (also known as DMV – the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) gathered on Thursday, April 19, at the Catholic University of America (CUA) for the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
This is according to a statement dated April 20, from Rwanda's Embassy in Washington, D.C.
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The president of IBUKA-DMV, Emmanuel Ndahimana, proposed the construction of a memorial site in the DMV area to serve as a place of reflection and learning for Genocide survivors, Rwandans, and the international community, ensuring that the memory of the victims endures.
Adding a personal dimension to the event, Genocide survivor Consoleée Nishimwe shared her testimony, reminding attendees of the power of personal stories in educating and preventing future atrocities.
"When you hear the story of a witness, you become a witness,” she said.
Organised by IBUKA-DMV in partnership with RCA-DMV (Rwanda Community Abroad in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), CUA, and Rwanda’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., the event began with a "walk to remember" the victims, reinforcing the community's commitment to "Never Again."
The commemoration not only served as a reflection on the past but also as a reaffirmation of the community's dedication to unity, education, and the prevention of future genocides.
In her welcoming remarks on behalf of the President of CUA, the Vice Provost for Global Strategies, Duilia de Mello spoke to CUA’s commitment to continued collaboration with Rwanda.
"As we honour the memory of those lost, let us also agree to urge our respective governments to collaborate in an effort to develop international efforts to identify, prevent, and stop genocides,” she said.
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The event also highlighted the need to combat genocide denial and revisionism, especially prevalent on social media platforms.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Republic of Rwanda, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, decried cases where Genocide ideology and denial are given place 30 years on.
"As we commemorate today, Rwandans will never understand why [Genocide] denial takes place in many institutions, including institutions of higher learning such as universities where the genocidaires are given platforms, or even deniers who are not genocidaires, in order to deny the Genocide. But this does not only take place in places of higher learning; it also takes place in courts,” he said, calling for concerted effort to tackle genocide ideology and denial for those who seek justice, remembrance, and healing.
The Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Rwanda to Washington DC, Arthur Asiimwe, called for continued efforts to keep the history of Rwanda alive and accurate.
In her remarks, the president of RCA-DMV (Rwanda Community Abroad in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), Cathy Rwivanga called on Rwandans and friends of Rwanda to disrupt the norm, challenge the silence, and change the narrative.
"It is unacceptable that even now, some officials fail to acknowledge the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi for what it truly was: a deliberate and systematic attempt to annihilate an entire ethnic group,” she remarked.
Tough measures for a united nation
Meanwhile, Ugirashebuja mentioned Rwanda's significant strides in the justice sector over the past 30 years and the remaining challenges.
He highlighted tough measures implemented after the Genocide that paved the way for a united nation and reconciliation: the choice of Paul Kagame to not serve as Rwanda’s first post-Genocide president, power sharing for reconciliation, the immediate military integration of members of the defeated army in the new national army alongside the liberation force Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) members, as well as the repatriation of refugees from neighbouring countries.
"A decision was taken by the government that anyone who occupies the property of someone else should immediately vacate it. Most of the people who occupied these abandoned properties were either survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, or the 1959/1973 refugee returnees. They had to vacate the houses as part of unity and reconciliation,” he said.