Tribute paid to Rwandan fallen politicians as mourning week ends
Rwanda’s Senate president François Xavier Kalinda led mourners in honoring politicians who were killed during the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, by rallying Rwandans on unity, as the national mourning week closed on Monday.
The closing ceremony took place at Rebero Memorial site in the capital Kigali, where political leaders paid tribute to politicians killed in the genocide.
Remains of about 14,400 people killed during the genocide are buried at the memorial site.
Speaking at the occasion, Kalinda stressed the need to continue building the country based on unity and good governance.
He urged Rwandans especially the youth to fight genocide ideology, genocide denial and divisions based on ethnicity.
To Kalinda, remembering politicians who were killed for standing firm against the genocide is to honor their sacrifice and heroism they demonstrated by choosing unity and justice.
He lashed at the previous governments and colonial powers that divided Rwandans along ethnic lines which fueled hatred and segregation in the country leading to the genocide in 1994.
Noting the role of politicians in the genocide, Kalinda called on Rwandan political parties and politicians to foster unity among Rwandans and shun divisive politics to avoid drawing the country back to its dark past.
In attendance were senior Rwanda government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, families of the fallen politicians and representatives of survivors' associations who laid wreaths on the graves in honor of the victims.
Frank Habineza, the spokesperson of the National Forum for Political Organizations in Rwanda criticized the “bad leadership Rwanda had before the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994” for promoting divisions and discriminative policies which posed a challenge to national unity.
The commemoration week ran from April 7, during which various commemorative activities were held across the country, including a march called Walk to Remember in Kigali as well as night vigils.
The commemorative activities for the 32nd genocide commemoration will continue until July 4, marking the 100-day calamity when about 1 million people, mostly of the Tutsi community and moderate Hutus, were killed in the genocide by Hutu extremists.
