Rwandans in the US Indiana State, on July 4, honoured the hard work and sacrifice of the Rwanda Patriotic Front/Army (RPA) who stopped the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and liberated Rwanda from a genocidal government.
The celebrations, organised as part of Rwanda’s 30th anniversary of liberation (Kwibohora 30), attracted over 100 members of the Rwandan community in the US Midwestern region.
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Leonard Kwitonda, the president of Rwandan Community in the Midwest, stressed the importance of honouring members of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) who sacrificed their lives to save the nation.
"We thank those who gave us a country to belong to. We thank the brave soldiers of RPF who sacrificed their own life to liberate Rwanda,” he said.
Kwitonda said Rwanda’s development over the past 30 years is attributed to the RPF leadership, and its tremendous efforts made since 1994.
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Gaetan Gatete, who was US Rwanda Diaspora President in 2016, shared the history of Rwanda during 1994 and how the world abandoned the country during the Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed over a million lives.
"Today we celebrate the victory of our nation,” said Gatete. "I was in the US in 1994, and the UN told us that Rwanda was a failed state, wondering about our future.”
"Now in 30 years we have been able to rebuild the country and we have a peaceful nation. We are so proud of our country,” he said.
He reminded youth that Rwanda counts on them as the drivers of its development.
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Gatete added that the abolition of discrimination and divisionism among Rwandans is a big milestone in terms of liberation.
Liliane Nyamuziga, another member of the Rwandan community, said: "Liberation Day is the day when the Genocide against the Tutsi was stopped. This is when Inkotanyi restored the hope of Rwandans.”
"Before 1994 Rwanda was in darkness but Inkotanyi turned this darkness into light for all Rwandans,” she said.
Irene Kambayire noted the importance of teaching young people everywhere about Rwanda’s history.
"My children must understand what liberation means although we live abroad,” Kamabyire said.
"They should understand how the country is today, 30 years after 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The country’s achievements today are founded on the sacrifice of its liberators,” she said.