Over the weekend, Rwandan community living in North Dakota, US, gathered at the Dickinson State University to honour victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The event attracted Rwandans and wellwishers living in the region. It was officiated by Rwanda’s ambassador to the United States, Mathilde Mukantabana. Addressing the mourners, Mukantabana said the commemoration in Dickinson, and the fact that it attracted many non-Rwandans, was a comforting sign that small as it is, Rwanda is “not alone” in facing the Genocide and its legacy. She pointed to the successes of the ongoing reconciliation process that begun after the Genocide in an attempt to heal a country where Interahamwe militia killed friends and neighbours. Mukantabana said forgiveness efforts, along with the country’s economic development strides, have helped the country get back on its feet and bring an anti-genocide message to the global mainstream. “There was no trust, no hope,” she said of the immediate post-Genocide Rwanda. “But, there was light, a very tiny light that was still starting, but it didn’t die. As a matter of fact, Rwanda has since risen to become the place of hope,” she said. Mukantabana pointed to the nation’s economic improvements and spearheading of anti-genocide efforts, like the Kigali Principles, a set of guidelines named after the Rwandan capital that encourage greater United Nations peacekeeping authority to protect civilians in conflict zones. Eric Mazimpaka, a resident of Dickinson, spoke about the history of Rwanda and the roots of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Ally Soudy, another Rwandan from Dickinson, said, though the past may be beyond changing, it is the duty of those living in the present to shape the future. “I think sometimes we survived to tell the truth of what happened in Rwanda in 1994,” he said. Bob Zent, a St. Wenceslaus Roman Catholic Church deacon, delivered an opening and closing prayer in honour of those who lost their lives during the 100 days of killing. At least a million people lost their lives during the Genocide. Additional reporting by Agencies
