UN Rwanda remembers, Commends Rwanda’s resilience and reconciliation journey.

The United Nations staff in Rwanda, government officials, diplomats representing their countries, and family members of the UN employees who were murdered in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi congregated to remember and honor the lives of the UN Staff that were hardheartedly massacred in one of the darkest moments of humankind.

In fact, the memory of the genocide continues to shape Rwanda and the wider international community as extra efforts are being made to promote unity, and reconciliation and prevent similar atrocities from occurring in the future across the globe. 

While addressing the mourners, the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Rwanda, Dr. Ozonnia Ojielo applauded the country’s unity and reconciliation journey which he said has led to the country’s rapid transformation that has brought the country on the magnificent right path of reconciliation, unity, economic growth, and development.

“There is no stronger message of hope than that of what Rwanda has already accomplished. Thank you, Rwanda, for committing to unity and reconciliation. Thank you for leaving no ground for hatred, divisionism, and hate propaganda, which we all recall, was among the main contributors to the genocide against the Tutsi” He said while addressing the congregation.

In 1994 during the genocide against the Tutsi, 68 UN staff from various agencies including UNDP, WFP, FAO, UNICEF, WHO, UNECA, UNHCR, and UNCDF were inexplicably slaughtered as the genocide clouds engulfed Rwanda leading to the death of over one million Tutsi in a period of three months.  

As the country continues on the right healing path and development, the UN Resident coordinator further pledged to continue working closely with the government of Rwanda and other partners to provide more developmental support for the country’s resilience, sustainable growth, and development.  

“UN will continue to support development projects, and social healing initiatives, and work with the new Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) to avail data on reconciliation and social cohesion and support community-based social healing,” Dr. Ozonnia said.

Rwanda’s minister of National Unity and Civil Engagement Dr. Jean- Damascène  Bizimana who was the guest of honor, expressed the need for more collaboration with different international actors to apprehend the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi who are still hiding across the world.

“Rwanda will continue to do everything possible, with the support of the international community, to bring to justice genocide fugitives, who live in foreign countries”.

Minister further echoed the need for continued support in refurbishing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi memorial sites. The preservation of the site is essential to remember and honor the victims of the genocide and prevent such atrocities from occurring again in the future.

Rwanda has made significant progress in economic growth and development since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. In the aftermath of the genocide, the country was left in ruins and the economy in shambles. However, since then, Rwanda has undergone a remarkable transformation, with the government implementing policies to rebuild the country and promote economic growth and development.

Emmanuel Rwibutso a son of Emmanuel Turatsinze a former employee of the United Nations Development Program is among the survivors who emotionally testified. He narrates the dimmest period his mother went through and how his father was later executed.

“I was in my mother’s womb with four-month pregnancy. They wanted to kill her and she was fortunately saved by my father who was later slaughtered by Interahamwe (Genocide perpetrators). Because of too much suffering and trauma, when I grew up my mother told me that she pleaded with someone to shoot her with a gun but the man refused. This means we would have all died”.

He further commended the UN Rwanda for organizing this annual commemoration event where survivors meet to reflect on and honor the lives of their family members lost in the genocide against the Tutsi.

The United Nations has been working in partnership with the government of Rwanda and various other stakeholders to support the development of Rwanda across a range of sectors.

The event ended with all participants laying the wreaths on the UN memorial site.

The Names of the UN Colleagues who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and the Agencies where they worked.