Geneva: Ceremonies marking the 17th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide committed against the Tutsi in Rwanda, were held at the UN Office Geneva jointly organized by the Permanent Mission of Rwanda in Geneva and the UN Office in the context of Observance of the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide committed against the Tutsi.

The event was attended by Ambassadors and representatives of international organizations in Geneva, NGOs and the Civil society as well as Members of the Rwandan Diaspora in Switzerland and many prominent friends of Rwanda.

 Two exhibitions on the genocide against the Tutsi are also on display in the UN Geneva from 1 – 21 April as part of the 17th commemoration.

Participants heard messages from a Panel of Speakers which included the Ambassador, Venetia Sebudandi, the UN Office Geneva Director General Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Professor Pierre Rwanyindo, Director of the Institute for Research and Dialogue for Peace (IRDP) of Rwanda, Mme Yolande Mukagasana, a Genocide survivor and author of several books and Dr. Michel Gakuba, President of Ibuka Memory and Justice (Swiss Section).

UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon addressed the participants via video message.

In her message, the Ambassador said that in the context of international reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda that this commemoration should be an occasion for the international community to reflect on its failure to prevent or stop the Genocide but instead abandoned Rwandans:

She said Rwanda is deeply committed to supporting global efforts for the Responsibility to Protect and is playing a major role in peace keeping mission, such as UN/AU Hybrid Mission in Darfur Peace keeping missions in Darfur, where Rwanda has the highest number of troops and has the overall force Command of the combined AU/UN Force in Darfur and has contributed military and police personnel to peace missions in several other countries, including Haiti. Rwanda has also spoken out in support of international efforts for protection of civilians where situations warrant it.

The Ambassador said that post Genocide efforts for rebuilding Rwanda have focused on making Rwanda a nation founded on the rule of law that could guarantee citizens equality and non discrimination, peace and prosperity and recalled that while in 1994 Rwanda was nearly a failed state, today peace and security are fully restored to new heights.

She said that Rwanda has made remarkable achievements in justice, unity and reconciliation, in political and democratic governance and in socio-economic development and is building a modern economy based on a vision that guarantees Rwandans a secure future of prosperity.

The Ambassador said that today Rwandans have found their confidence and dignity and the country has found its place and voice in the concert of nations, adding that these achievements have come through the resilience of the people of Rwanda and the Government under visionary leadership of President Paul Kagame.

She called on the UN Member states to show commitment to efforts to prevent Genocide by ensuring that those who have committed the crime are arrested and brought to justice wherever they are, and appealed to them to enact appropriate laws and other mechanisms to punish Genocide perpetrators and those engaged in the revisionism and trivialisation of the Genocide, and in propagating the genocide ideology.

She said Rwanda has chosen to have this year’s commemoration theme focus on upholding the truth and sensitising Rwandans on preserving their dignity.

The Director General of the UN Office Geneva, Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, led participants in observing a minute of silence.

In his message, he emphasized the importance of telling the truth about what happened during the Genocide, and to stand united against anyone who would deny or distort the extent and effects of the genocide.

He also highlighted the theme identified by the United Nations for this year's commemoration which is; "Rebuilding Rwanda: Reconciliation and Education" and informed the audience that the UN Geneva Office is collaborating with the Permanent Mission of Rwanda, in reaching out to Secondary school students in Geneva to teach them about the Genocide and about the shared responsibility.

Prof. Pierre Rwanyindo, who was one of the panelists, discussed extensively on the theme identified by the Government of Rwanda namely, "Upholding the Truth and preserving our Dignity".

He emphasized the importance of truth in everyday life for all human beings and hence it's particular importance when it comes to such a human tragedy and condemned those who tend to negate or diminish the magnitude or revise the history of Genocide, including those characterizing the Genocide as a civil war or those who pretend that there was a double Genocide.

Rwanyindo said all of them are spoiling the collective memory of the humanity by avoiding to tell the truth and should be totally ignored and fought. 

He said the victims, who had been called cockroaches or snakes and killed as such, were stripped of their dignity. He observed that Rwanda, through various initiatives, undertook to return the dignity both to the victims and the survivors.

In his capacity as Director of the Research Institute for Dialogue and Peace, Prof. Rwanyindo highlighted the contribution of his organization in engaging Rwandans in a frank debate on various important national themes, such as the history of Rwanda, and emphasizing that the stability of Rwanda will be sustained through the recognition of the importance of the truth, respect and dignity of the human kind.

Yolande Mukagasana, another panelist, spoke as a survivor of the Genocide and delivered a long and moving speech on the history of the Genocide and the catastrophic conditions in which the survivors live. She called upon Ambassadors and diplomats present in the room to convince their governments of the need to set up a fund of assistance to the survivors.

"You cannot, on one side, recognize the Genocide, and at the other hand, fail to recognize its survivors", she said.

Mukagasana strongly condemned the revisionism and minimization of the Genocide committed against the Tutsi, including by those who collaborate with FDLR such as Kayumba Nyamwasa, Patrick Karegeya, Theogene Rudasingwa and his brother, Gerald Gahima, hiding behind political opposition to collaborate with those genocidaires with blood on their hands.

She said it was a shameful and inacceptable sign of denial, revisionism and minimization of the Genocide. 

Mukagasana as a survivor who was at Hotel des Mille Collines, dismissed Rusesabagina as a hero. She also criticized Hollywood for making Rusesabagina into a" Schindler" for Rwandans, saying he was constantly in touch with Col. Theoneste Bagosora, the architect of Genocide, and met with him often.

This, in addition to demanding payment from those who had taken refuge at the Hotel.

She underlined that the real "Schindlers", our silent heroes who saved Tutsis, exist and are known and are being rewarded regularly, citing Jacqueline, who saved her life, and Zula Karuhimbi, as such examples.  

Mukagasana expressed her love for Rwanda her beautiful country which she says, will be one day be a country where the hatred will have no place, where Rwandans will see each other as Rwandans of the same nation and not as victims and murderers.

Dr. Michel Gakuba, President of IBUKA-Memoire et Justice in Switzerland, commended the UN for the resolution establishing April 7th as International day for reflection on the Genocide committed in 1994 against Tutsi in Rwanda but requested the UN do more in favor of survivors.

He called for the setting up a special fund for survivors for the purpose of compensation and reparation.  The same message had been echoed by the Ambassador and Yolande Mukagasana who spoke before.

Ends