"Act Now: Never Again for Victims and Peacekeepers Like Captain Mbaye Daigne" Ozonnia Ojielo

As Rwanda marked the 30th anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, the United Nations and the Embassy of Senegal organized the third edition of Captain Mbaye Diagne Day. The event was attended by the family of the late Captain Mbaye, represented by his wife Madam Yasin Mar Diop, senior government officials, and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

In his remarks, Ozonnia Ojielo, United Nations Resident Coordinator, urged all actors to actively participate in making "Never Again" a reality. 

“In our diplomatic messages to our headquarters, in the decisions we make, we might begin to pass the message. It's time for the member states to come together. It's time for the UN Security Council to become more active, more functional. It's time for us to respond much more actively as a global community so that victims like those in Rwanda and peacekeepers like Captain Mbaye Diagne will not have to be lost again,” he said.

Captain Mbaye Diagne, a UN peacekeeper in the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda, risked his life to save hundreds of innocent lives during the genocide. Tragically, he was killed on the morning of May 31, 1994, by a fragment from a mortar that exploded near his car. 

Ojielo highlighted Captain Diagne's bravery, saying, “Did he have to do that? He didn't. He could have stayed in his military post and said it was too risky. So the avoidance of responsibility must stop.”

During the event, a genocide survivor saved by Captain Diagne gave a moving testimony, reiterating his bravery. 

“He saw me when I was about to be killed by a Catholic priest. He stopped and told him he could only kill me after his death. He went to explain to the priest that everyone was watching, and the killers finally left me alone. I am here thanks to Captain Mbaye Diagne,” said Madam Concilie Mukamwezi.

In an exclusive interview with the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator (RCO), General Mbaye Cissé, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Senegal, noted that Captain Diagne's courage and legacy have been integrated into the training of Senegalese soldiers. 

“Before deployments and in training, we always tell our soldiers about the bravery of the late Captain Mbaye. It is an immense pride and responsibility he left for us as soldiers and peacekeepers around the continent,” General Cissé said.

Veneranda Ingabire, Executive Director of Memory and Genocide Prevention in the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement, expressed gratitude for the commemoration. 

“I thank the Embassy of Senegal and the United Nations for organizing this event. Remembering the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and brave people who tried to stand against it like Capt Mbaye is very important in reminding ourselves about the duty we have to continue fighting genocide ideology and embracing unity and reconciliation for what happened to never happen again,” she said.

In 2010, the Rwandan government awarded Captain Mbaye Diagne's widow a medal for his courage in saving lives during the genocide. The Senegalese officer was honored with the Umurinzi, Rwanda’s campaign against genocide medal, presented by President Paul Kagame.

In 2014, the United Nations Security Council created the "Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage" to honor those military, police, civilian UN personnel, and associated personnel who demonstrate exceptional courage in the face of extreme danger while serving humanity and the United Nations.