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| Hon. Min. Biruta and the Minister for Youth and ICT light the candle at KWIBUKA22 event |
Rwanda's
Ministry of Natural Resources and affiliated institutions have gathered to
commemorate the lives of staff who were killed in the Genocide against the
Tutsi. The event was led by the Minister of Natural Resources, Vincent Biruta,
the Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana and Minister of State
in charge of Mining, Evode Imena. The commemoration also included staff from
the Ministry of Youth and ICT, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee
Affairs and the Office of the Government Spokesperson.
The ceremony
began with a prayer and a minute of silence to pay tribute to the more than one
million victims of the Genocide and remember them with dignity.
Minister Biruta
welcomed everyone who came to honour the lives lost in the Genocide,
reiterating that every Rwandan has the responsibility to be part of
commemoration events.
“Kwibuka
(remembrance) is an opportunity to give dignity and respect to victims of the
Genocide against the Tutsi. We express our thoughts to those who lost loved
ones in the Genocide against the Tutsi. We are with you as a family,” Minister
Biruta said.
The program
continued with lighting candles of remembrance for Genocide victims as well as
songs from musician Dieudonne Munyanshoza, who sang about the testimonies of
survivors and their tragic past.
The Director
General of the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority, Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza, then
read the names of staff members who were killed in the Genocide. We honour
their memory and they will forever be in our hearts. Their names are:
● Ignace Gasasira
● Celestin Gatovu
● Thomas Kabera
● Vedaste Kanamugire
● Marcelin Kayiranga
● Philippe Kazungu
● Auxile Muyombayire
● Edison Ntaganzwa
● Bertrand Rugumbiraho
● Jean De La Croix Rutaremara
The guest
speaker of the event was genocide scholar Tom Ndahiro. He detailed the origins
of the divisions the fractured the unity between Rwandans and spoke about the
causes and consequences of the Genocide. He explained to the audience the
negligence of foreign countries to take action, even after knowing about the
mass murders that killed many Tutsi in the years leading up to 1994 and the
events of the Genocide against the Tutsi between April and July 1994.
"Around
this date twenty-two years ago, the Americans were training political staff and
encouraging journalists not to use the word ‘genocide’ to describe what was
happening in Rwanda. This was to develop approaches to deny their
responsibility to take action and stop the Genocide against Tutsi,” Tom Ndahiro
said.
Mr Ndahiro also
outlined ways to fight genocide ideology on social media. He explained that
Rwandans have begun to use social media to counter genocide deniers who wish to
rewrite the country’s history.
"Now on
social media platforms, especially Twitter, we can share what happened every
day in 1994. We are also able to spread good news about Rwanda’s development
over the last 22 years," he said.
The Director
General in charge of Research and Documentation at the National Commission for
the Fight Against Genocide, Dr Jean Damascene Gasanabo, spoke about the
significance of the event and presented Rwanda’s progress to combat genocide
and its ideology. He said, however, that some people still hold onto this
dangerous way of thinking and urged everyone to stand against those who still
promote genocide ideology.
The Minister of
Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, closed the event by encouraging
participants to continue the spirit of attending commemorations because it
discourages genocide deniers and ideologists around the world.
"Genocide
deniers hate it when we gather for Kwibuka events, but it is our duty to ensure
history is not forgotten. Take part in Kwibuka events, in Rwanda and around the
world, to learn more about the Genocide against the Tutsi," the Minister
said.
The agencies
affiliated to the Ministry of Natural Resources that joined the commemoration
include:
● Meteo Rwanda
Commemoration Photos:
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