Source: UN News: Saturday, April 11, 2026 00:02 AM
At a tribute event in New Delhi to mark the International Day of Remembrance (7 April) on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi community in Rwanda, diplomats, officials and students remembered the victims, heard from a survivor, and discussed Rwanda’s journey from catastrophe to solidarity. “What I am telling you, I have not read in books. This is the reality that I have seen with my own eyes. This is the reality that I have lived myself.” These are the words of Rwanda’s High Commissioner to India, Jacqueline Mukangira, who made the people present at the event aware of the human reality of the 1994 genocide. Jacqueline Mukangira herself is a victim of this massacre. She lost her father, four siblings, relatives and their children in the tragedy. More than one million people were killed in Rwanda in 1994, when years of targeted hatred, discrimination and misinformation culminated in 100 days of mass violence that pitted neighbors against neighbors. “Never again,” Jacqueline Mukangira said in her speech at the memorial ceremony. Words like these should not remain just an empty promise. “We lost 10 percent of our population because the Rwandan government of that time said the only way to save the country was to kill all the Tutsis, because it was their intention to completely exterminate them,” he said, calling on those present to honor the memory of the men, women and children who were systematically killed. At the same time, he appealed for solidarity with survivors whose resilience has helped guide Rwanda’s reconstruction. He said their participation in the reconciliation process and their courage, despite immense suffering, reflect the country’s determination to rebuild “on a strong foundation of unity and the spirit of nationalism.” “Indeed, they have replaced unity over ethnic identity, forgiveness over hatred, and Chose solidarity instead.” © UN India/Blassy Boben Warning signs of genocideStephan Preissner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, said the Rwandan genocide is a reminder that such atrocities do not start with weapons. “Genocide does not start with weapons,” he said. “It starts with words, with disinformation, with dehumanization, and with the use of hate language that creates divides between communities.” After remembering one of the darkest chapters in recent history, the school children attending the event pledged to “sow the seeds of peace and harmony” and not let anyone divide them. The students, from the National Capital Region of Delhi and Chhattisgarh, also presented artworks depicting the horrors of the genocide. These paintings, displayed in the Bharat Mandapam, were a reflection of the students’ own learning and understanding of that dark period in history. One student, speaking to the Rwandan High Commissioner about the colors and images in his artwork, said, “I had a feeling of shame in my heart when I made this, because the world did nothing to stop the genocide.” © UN India/Blassy Boben Rebuilding through unity Jacqueline Mukangira, Rwanda’s High Commissioner, said that after more than three decades, her country has emerged from its painful past and moved forward towards unity, cohesion, stability and economic development. She said this process was driven forward by dismantling ethnic-based political structures, adopting a system of participatory governance, and strengthening a common national identity. This identity is ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’, which means, “I am Rwandan.” He said, “So we no longer identify ourselves as Hutu, Tutsi or Twa. We are Rwandans. We are all Rwandans, and we truly believe that.” At the event, Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary for Economic Relations in the Ministry of External Affairs of India, said, “Rwanda stands today united and resilient. It is because of this It is an example of what can be achieved when a nation faces its past honestly and sets out to rebuild its future with determination.” The commemoration event held in New Delhi ended with a message that was both remembrance and hope. Peace must be protected, hatred must be nipped in the bud, and unity must be chosen over revenge.
