Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Rwanda has cautioned against the dangers of allowing hatred and disunity to fester in Africa, stressing that they pose a serious challenge to the continent.
The Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Christophe Bazivamo, stated this at the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Abuja, observed under the multi-year theme: “Remember – Unite – Renew”.
Bazivamo stated that the path to lasting peace demands constant vigilance, restating the country’s unbreakable pledge to fight intolerance, discrimination, ethnic hatred, hate speeches, genocide revisionism, and denial in all their forms.
“Unfortunately, this is happening today just beyond Rwanda’s borders in the Great Lakes region. We should never allow the embers of hatred to reignite,” he stated.
The High Commissioner stressed the importance of ensuring that the memory of the victims of the genocide becomes a powerful force for good, inspiring future generations to choose peace over hate, unity over division, and hope over despair.
“This can be achieved in different ways including putting course lessons about the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in schools and the establishment of memory symbols in remembrance of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“To educate the young and the next generation on the need to fight hate ideologies and stand against any form of discrimination and divisionism. Let us work together to build a world where such atrocities never happen again,” he added.
In his remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar conveyed the condolences of the Nigerian government to the survivors of the genocide.
Tuggar, represented by a former ambassador to Sudan, Safiu Olaniyan said: “Genocide should not be allowed to raise its head ever again.”
The Secretary General, United Nations, Antonio Guterres urged the world to stand as one against all forms of hatred and discrimination.
Guterres whose speech was read on the occasion by the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall noted: “To those who would seek to divide us, we must deliver a clear, unequivocal and urgent message: never again.
“We can draw a straight line between the senseless slaughter of 1 million Tutsi — as well as some Hutu and others who opposed the genocide — and the decades of hate speech that preceded it, enflamed by ethnic tensions and the long shadow of colonialism.
“Today, around the world, the darkest impulses of humanity are being awakened once more by the voices of extremism, division and hate.
“On this solemn day of remembrance, let’s pledge to stand as one against all forms of hatred and discrimination,” he stressed.
In his remarks, a retired Nigerian Navy Admiral, Samuel Alade, who witnessed the genocide while in Rwanda commended the tenacity of purpose and the commitment of the Rwandans to making their nation an example of tolerance.
