President Kenyatta said although the rest of the world had maintained a studious silence as Rwandan Hutus killed members of the Tutsi ethnic community, it was not justified for the East African region to also stand aside without taking action/PSCU
President Kenyatta said although the rest of the world had maintained a studious silence as Rwandan Hutus killed members of the Tutsi ethnic community, it was not justified for the East African region to also stand aside without taking action.
The President regretted that for 100 days of the genocide, Rwanda suffered grievously without the world daring to step in and fulfil the famous “never again” pledge made after the Jewish Holocaust.
“Our region also stood aside, and for that we owe the most profound apology to the people of Rwanda. We have learned that no one from far away can be relied on to come to our aid; we must build an independent capability and will to protect the lives of our children and their futures”, said the President.
The Head of State who is also the chairman of the East African Community issued the statement in Kigali after attending the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide alongside 20 other Heads of States and Government from across the world.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon also attended the commemorations that brought together delegations from at least 10 countries from the African continent, USA, Britain, Germany, China and Canada.
Part of the commemorations included laying or wreaths by the Heads of State and dignitaries to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Site in Gisozi where the remains of the genocide victims are buried.
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and Ban also lit a torch at Gisozi that will burn for 100 days, the length of time the genocide lasted. During the period, communities will come together to remember the lives lost in the genocide and support survivors. July 4 will mark the 20th anniversary of the end of the genocide. It will also be a period to reflect on Rwanda’s story of resilience, reconciliation and nation building.
President Kenyatta said that although mass violence was not expected to revisit Rwanda, the lessons learnt were enough to justify vigilance saying, “This is why there is a regional force on standby to ensure peace.”
“The Inter-Government Committee on the Great Lakes Region (IGCLR), the Eastern Africa Standby Force, and other arrangements remain at hand to ensure that our region is never again home to mass murder and genocide.”
President Kenyatta traced the Rwanda genocide to the colonialism’s racist ideology and a post-colonial state that practiced the politics of division and terror.
The Head of State said there is need to ensure the region is as strong on security and mutual aid, as it is in trade and economic integration.
“Building an EAC in this second decade of the 21st century that would have intervened in 1994 is the least we can do to honour the memory of the dead,” said President Kenyatta.
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