Over 700 guests to attend 30th Rwandan genocide anniversary

The Rwanda High Commission in Uganda has laid out a number of activities for the 30^th commemoration of the Rwandan genocide.

In Uganda, the commemorations shall be held on April 20, 2024, in Ggolo Genocide Memorial Site, Mpigi District.

Addressing journalists ahead of the commemorations at the Rwanda High Commissioner in Kampala, Rwandan Ambassador to Uganda Joseph Rutabana said this year’s commemoration marks a generational cycle since the Genocide was put to an end, and is an opportune time for a call to reflect on the transformational journey that Rwanda has undergone for the last years.

He said that, the mourning period will commence on  April 7 nationwide for 100 days, up to  July 3 2024, adding that the High Commission will also engage in different activities that, will include a public Lecture on  April 17 to be held in partnership with Makerere University.

Over 700 guests are expected to attend, among others including the Rwanda community in Uganda, government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, academia, religious institutions, and genocide survivors among other.

Genocide commemorations in Uganda are significant because over 10,900 bodies of victims were buried at different sites including Lambu in Masaka District and Kasensero in Rakai District among others.

According to the BBC, President Emmanuel Macron has said that France and other countries could have stopped the 1994 Rwandan genocide, where ethnic Hutu extremists killed more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. This, he says in a video message set to be aired during the 30th commemoration of the Rwandan genocide on Sunday.

The event is set to be attended by several international guests including French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné and ex-US President Bill Clinton.

Written by Barbra Anyait