The UN Secretary-General on Monday called for his commitment to building a world of justice and dignity, honoring the victims and survivors of the 1994 genocide to Tutchi in Rwanda.
Antonio Guterres joined survivors, diplomats and civil society members for the annual ceremony in the UN General Assembly Hall, mourning the lives lost in this “cold chapter in human history” to prevent it from happening again.
He recalled that genocide had occurred at a terrible rate.
The atrocities took place over 100 days from April 7, 1994. A million children, women and men have been killed. The vast majority were Tutsi, but Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were also massacred.
collective action failure
“This was not a spontaneous frenzy of horrific violence,” he said.
“It was intentional. It was planned, it included hate speech spreading inflamed division and lies and dehumanization. And it was the product of collective failure.”
Philemon Yang, president of the United Nations General Assembly, also tackled the inactions of the international community.
“In spite of early warnings, despite clear signs of an imminent catastrophe, the world rose as the killing unfolded. The government cried out for help and discussed while life was lost,” he said.
“Today, when we look back on our failures, we must ask: Have we really learned anything from the past? Have we done enough to ensure that such atrocities never happen again?
Proof of survival
Global Health researcher and author Germaine Tuyisenge Müller shared her testimony of her disastrous survival. She was only nine years old when the genocide began and was living in the capital, Kigali with her mother, aunt and two young cousins. Her three brothers were visiting relatives at the time.
“Our country has plunged into unimaginable fear,” she said. “Families were torn apart. Children, including the unborn baby, the slaughtered children, women were often raped in front of their loved ones and wiped out the entire community simply because it was Tsuchi.”
This period was marked by efforts to seek safety, separation from beloved families, and news of death. At one point, Ms. Tuyisenge Müller stayed alone in an abandoned house for two months, stripping off the milk powder and sugar dissolved in the rainwater.
It will take seven months before he sees his mother again, who was shot during the early stages of genocide.
Her mother and aunt were living at that time with 13 members of a large family across the country. Her eldest son was her grandmother and joined after her husband was killed.
Memory and Restoration
“Today, I share this testimony in commemoration of the lives of more than a million people lost during the genocide,” Tuyisenge Müller said.
“I also speak for the sake of the survivors, for our resilience, our strength, and for our unwavering commitment to memory. Thirty-one years later, we continue to hold this truth in the face of the increasing denial of genocide and revisionism.”
In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that Rwanda has made an extraordinary journey towards reconciliation, healing and justice since genocide, but this terrifying time in its history is a reminder that society is not immune from hatred and fear.
Today’s lesson
“Looking back at how these crimes occurred, we also have to think about our resonance with our time,” he said, referring to today’s department.
Guterres warned that “their and our stories are increasingly polarizing societies across the Great Lakes region and around the world.” At the same time, “Digital technology is weaponized to spread hatred, Stoke Division and lies.”
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He also pointed out the “surprising arrangement of racism, misogyny and genocide denial” circulating online.
“We see conspiracies, truths, deep fakes spread at an astonishing pace. We must stop the current trend of hate speech and the frustration of violence and the frustration of violence,” he said.
The UN chief called for the international community to make an effort, saying that it is “stopping the trend in hate speech, stopping division, and turning dissatisfaction into violence.”
In this regard, he urges countries to fully implement the global digital compact adopted last year, which outlines an important commitment to tackling falsehood and hatred.
“More than anything, we all have to act to prevent human rights violations, and to retain those who are committed to explaining to them,” he said.
He called on all countries to become political parties in the Genocide Treaty, and “respect their responsibility to protect their population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”
