The Minister for Justice and Attorney General Johnston Busingye has reiterated that genocide suspects who were employees of the UN who allegedly sought out fellow UN Staff, their families and killed or handed them to killers will get their day in court.

He made the remarks while paying tribute to victims of the genocide against the Tutsi including 64 who were killed while working for the UN in Rwanda.

Twenty five years ago, Rwanda faced one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century: the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi when more than one million Tutsi were killed in less than 100 days and left many survivors, including widows and orphans with no help.

The Genocide against the Tutsi did not cost human lives only but also destroyed the already fragile country.

"Brothers, sisters and friends who survived the Genocide against the Tutsi and those whose relatives and loved ones were killed while working for the UN, we stand with you, wish you more strength and courage. Rwanda’s Never Again will be for real.

Day in day out you carry two burdens: that of the memory of your loved ones whom you lost to the genocide and that of surviving and facing life with courage,” he said.

But, he said, the genocide suspects of which some were UN staff have their days numbered.

"I am aware of former UN staff genocide suspects who, it is alleged, viciously and actively joined the Interahamwe ranks, sought out fellow UN Staff and their families and killed or handed them to killers. I am also aware of their efforts to elude justice.

We do not determine how the justice system where they are functions but those who know them please tell them that we will do all that it takes to ensure that they get their day in court,” he said.

Hope and determination

He stressed that using commemoration occasions to listen carefully to testimonies and make the effort to understand that surviving the genocide and facing life is a long and difficult journey.

Busingye further stressed that after genocide destroyed the fragile country, hope and determination were the most important investment assets the country survived by.

"Rwanda has come a long way: from despair to hope. From nearly a failed state to a functional, peaceful, stable and rapidly developing country. From an isolated country to a country with many and strong friendships. Our modest achievements are the result of commitment to deliver a democratic and unified country,” he remarked.

The minister added that government will continue to build unity, tolerance, rule of law, accountability and justice so that ethnic bigotry never takes the better of Rwandans again.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Rwanda, Fodé Ndiaye said: "As we remember this dark time, let us as individuals, as communities, as institutions join hands and never forget our common humanity.”

Through the message to Rwanda, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guteres said the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda is one of the darkest chapters in recent human history.

"We honour those who were murdered and we reflect on the suffering and resilience of those who survived,” he said.

However, he warned that, "As we renew ourselves to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again, we are seeing dangerous trends of rising xenophobia, racism and intolerance in many parts of the world. Particularly troubling is the proliferation of hate speech and incitement to violence. Whenever they occur they must be identified, confronted and stopped.”

editor@newtimestwanda.com