Rwandan president urges international community to fight genocide ‘denial, revisionism and hate speech’

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame urged the international community Friday to fight genocide “denial, revisionism and hate speech” which he said persists.

Kagame said genocide ideology and denial is a dangerous and deliberate attempt to block the truth.

“From the beginning, we understood the need to cultivate and preserve the spirit of oneness to give us hope for a better future,” he said in the nation’s capital of Kigali at an event to mark the 29th anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group.

“We cannot, however, ignore the fact that things like violence and hate speech persist not far away from here,” he said without identifying the location. “Much as it does, so you can also see the same indifference today as we saw in 1994.”

Kagame’s remarks were an apparent reference to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where Rwanda has expressed concern that Congolese ethnic Tutsis, Kinyarwanda-speaking people, are being targeted in ongoing fighting between government forces and M23 rebels.

The Congo accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, a charge Rwanda has consistently denied.

Kigali also accuses Kinshasa of allying with Rwandan rebels of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), whose elements are accused of perpetrating the 1994 genocide.

“We must fight revisionist ideologies because they are easily passed on from generation to generation. We must fight denial because that's how history repeats itself,” said Kagame.

Rwanda’s National Unity Minister Jean Damascene Bizimana said that while the UN adopted April 7 as International Day of Reflection on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi -- to draw lessons and prevent another genocide, "this goal has not been achieved given the genocide ideology that is still rampant in the region.”

“The FDLR terrorist group, which unites the perpetrators of the genocide and those who support its ideology, has not been eradicated,” he said.

Remembrance ceremonies were held nationwide to honor thousands killed in 100 days.

About 1 million people, mostly from the Tutsi community and moderate Hutus, were killed by Hutu extremists during the massacre.

The main event was held at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims are buried.

Kagame and first lady Jeannette Kagame attended the main event at the memorial where he led other dignitaries in paying respects to the victims.

Kagame lit the “Flame of Remembrance” at the memorial that will burn for 100 days as a symbol of hope.

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres urged the international community to take action to prevent similar atrocities from happening again.

“We remember with shame the failure of the international community. The generation since genocide, we must never forget what happened and ensure future generations always remember,” he said in a message.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell commended Rwanda and its people for their determination to "stand up from the ashes to rebuild the country and reconcile."