Kwibuka 31: Politicians perished for opposing hatred and divisionism honoured

The President of the Senate, Dr. François Xavier Kalinda, urged government officials to take the lead in combating genocide ideology, engaging and emphasizing the value of unity and resilience.

He said this while speaking at the event of paying tribute to the politicians who perished for resisting hatred and divisionism during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at the Rebero Genocide Memorial on Sunday, 13 April, as Commemoration Week concluded.

“I urge you [politicians] to take the lead in combating genocide ideology by reaching out to citizens and emphasizing the importance of unity and resilience,” says Dr. Kalinda.

“It is crucial to educate our youth about our nation’s history, particularly the Genocide against the Tutsi, to strengthen our unity as Rwandans and foster a sense of patriotism.”

Dr. Kalinda firmly condemns the politicians who were involved in the orchestration, incitement, backing, and execution of the Genocide against the Tutsi, which saw more than a million lost their lives in a hundred days.

“While commemorating the politicians who committed to denying the injustice and the politics of hate, striving to ensure that Rwanda is not consumed by the darkness of division and discrimination until they are killed, we strongly condemn the politicians who played a role in the planning, incitement, support and implementation of the Genocide against the Tutsi, which killed more than a million in a hundred days,” he says.

Addressing the event, Christine Mukabunani, the Spokesperson of the National Consultative Forum of Political Organizations, highlighted how the regime that planned and implemented the Genocide against the Tutsi violated the fundamental principles of good governance.

“Politics, in essence, is the art of leading and managing a society so that its members enjoy well-being and development. However, the regime that was in power at that time did not uphold these principles of good governance, as it established political parties based on ethnic and regional divisions,” she says.

Mukabunani emphasized that the current government has chosen unity and a political approach grounded in consensus and the cohesion of Rwandans.

“These political choices made by Rwandans are the foundation of our nation's stability, and the outcomes are clearly evident.”

Photo: Dr. François Xavier Kalinda urged government officials to take the lead in combating genocide ideology.

Photo: Prime Minister Dr. Edouard Ngirente pays tribute to the politicians who were slain during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.