KWIBUKA marks warning and hope

from KELVIN JAKACHIRA in Harare
HARARE – A United Nations (UN) envoy has warned that while post-genocide Rwanda has achieved significant recovery through deliberate and strategic national policies, ongoing threats posed by armed groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), as well as the propagation of genocide ideology and denial, remain a cause for concern.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Zimbabwe, Edward Kallon, said that despite facing institutional collapse, mass displacement, deep societal trauma and widespread destruction, post-genocide Rwanda managed to defy the odds.

Kallon told reporters at a press briefing at the Embassy of Rwanda, ahead of the KWIBUKA32 commemorations to be held in Harare on 7 April, that despite these enormous challenges, Rwanda has made significant recovery progress.

However, this progress remains under threat from the FDLR, genocide ideology and denial.

“Through deliberate policies of unity and reconciliation – including integration of former adversaries into national structures – the country has made significant recovery,” Kallon said.

“However, ongoing threats remain. Genocide ideology, denial and extremism persist, particularly within the Great Lakes region. Armed groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda continue to destabilise the eastern DRC, targeting vulnerable communities and perpetuating insecurity. These risks are increasingly amplified through digital and transnational networks.”

The Rwandan Embassy in Harare will host the commemorations on 7 April at the Celebration Centre.

Rwandans based in Zimbabwe, Friends of Rwanda, the diplomatic community and the business community will join the global community in marking KWIBUKA32.

The genocide against the Tutsi began on 7 April 1994, and over a period of 100 days, more than one million people were murdered in cold blood by soldiers and militias of the genocidal government.

Kallon said KWIBUKA is both a remembrance and a warning that continued inaction risks repeating past failures.

He added that there is a need to combat hate speech in online spaces to safeguard human dignity.

“There are three key messages: remember, unite and renew. The priority call to action means we need to invest in inclusive societies and strong, accountable institutions that protect fundamental rights. There is a need to combat hate speech, genocide ideology and denial in all its forms and spaces, including online, to safeguard human dignity,” he said.

Rwanda’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James Musoni, warned that failure to combat ongoing crimes by the FDLR, as well as the continued propagation of hate speech and genocide ideology on digital platforms, amounts to complicity.

The FDLR comprises remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi who regrouped in the eastern DRC.

Ambassador Musoni expressed concern over the ongoing propagation of genocide ideology, denial and distortion, particularly in the eastern DRC, where violence against communities continues while the world looks on.

“As we commemorate the 32nd KWIBUKA, we are deeply concerned by the continuing insecurity in the Great Lakes region. The situation in eastern DRC is a stark reminder of the consequences of inaction and echoes the failure of the international community in 1994,” he said.

He added that KWIBUKA serves as a solemn reminder to prevent similar atrocities and called for decisive global action to combat hate speech, ensure accountability, and uphold international solidarity.

– CAJ News