Monday, June 13, 2016

Ministry of Natural Resources and agencies remember staff killed in the Genocide against the Tutsi



 
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
      Rwanda's Green Fund

Commemoration Photos:

Click here to view photos of the ministry’s Kwibuka22 commemoration event.

No comments:

Post a Comment