Kwibuka23: Rwandans in South Korea, US commemorate Genocide

Rwandan envoys in the Unite d States and South Korea have reiterated the government call for the global solidarity in fighting genocide ideology if the world is to have the much sought-after sustainable peace. Emma-Françoise Isumbingabo, Rwanda’s ambassador to South Korea is of the view that if the global citizens truly believe in the “Never Again” spirit, it should be everyone’s responsibility to speak the truth and denounce any kind of ideology that seeks to divide people based on any form of classification. In the Rwandan context, she said that its high time everyone believed in the fact that, “Tutsi in Rwanda were persecuted for long time, they were denied every right in their country, right to education, right to health services, they were even denied the very right to possess the Rwandan Identity when they were forced into exile. “Hiding the truth about the Genocide and supporting acts that undermine our achievements are some of activities that show we still have people who deny that there was genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Major General Jean-Bosco Kazura was one of the speakers. / Courtesy Ambassador Isumbingabo delivering her remarks at the commemoration event in Seoul. / Courtesy Some would like to revise the truth on what really happened, if we believe in the “Never Again” spirit it is our responsibility to speak the truth,” Isumbingabo said. Isumbingabo was speaking at the twenty-third commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi held in Korean capital Seoul, last week. “Genocide ideology should be persistently contested because those who perpetrated the Genocide against the Tutsi and their supporters have continued to deny it and distort the truth about what happened,” she added. Yong-min Park, the Director General of the African and Middle East Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, who was the main speaker hailed Rwanda’s reconstruction path describing it as the “greatest achievement” and hope to other developing countries. “I strongly believe that the 23 years of success story of national reconciliation is the greatest achievement of the people of Rwanda. Unity based on Agaciro is what Korea needs to learn from the on-going efforts of Rwanda. “23 years later, it is so important for us all to remember that such a tragedy indeed happened, and that it eventually failed,” Park said. Amb Park DG MoFA. / Courtesy Guests who turned up for Kwibuka23 in Seoul. / Courtesy A choir of young children recited the national anthems of both Rwanda and South Korea. / Courtesy He added that, “The Genocide failed to eradicate the Tutsi. The Genocide failed to perpetually cripple Rwanda as a nation, because the people of Rwanda never gave up hope. By doing so, Rwanda today is a country that is giving hope to other developing countries. May your success stories inspire more people in more countries in the days to come.” Meanwhile, during a similar commemoration event held at the Rwandan Embassy in Washington DC last week, Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana urged those present to denounce and fight genocide ideology in the “strongest way possible.” “The memory of our national suffering is under assault by genocide deniers. Deniers find perverse satisfaction and personal vindication in a fictionalized account of what happened in 1994. Let’s preserve the memory of our past, all of it, the chaff and the grain, the beauty as well as the tragedy,” said Ambassador Mukantabana. In her remarks, Dr. Arikana Chihombori Quao, the Ambassador of the African Union Mission to the United States explored the question of the origin of the hatred that led to the systematic killings of the Tutsi in 1994. Chihombori explored the role of colonialism and urged those present to actively seek freedom from a colonial mindset that we are different, emphasizing that the goal was to divide and conquer. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Kwibuka23: Rwandans in South Korea, US commemorate Genocide