Thousands of Rwandans attend commemorative activities to honour genocide victims

Kigali, April 8 (IANS) Thousands of Rwandans joined President Paul Kagame in a 'Walk to Remember' and a night vigil to mark the start of the 31st commemoration of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.

The march started from Gasabo district headquarters in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, to BK Arena, where marchers, including several senior government officials, diplomats and youth, gathered for a night vigil.

At the night vigil, Kagame lit the "Flame of Hope" as a symbol of resilience and the enduring spirit of Rwandans in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide.

Addressing the audience, Philibert Gakwenzire, president of IBUKA, the umbrella body of genocide survivors' organisations in Rwanda, said remembrance ceremonies are important in honouring the victims of the genocide and serving as a platform to reaffirm Rwanda's commitment to unity.

"The commemoration is also an occasion to reflect on the genesis of ethnic divisions which played a key role in genocide as well as denounce all those who participated in the massacres of Rwandans based on their ethnical identities," he said.

Liliane Murangwayire, a survivor from Ntarama sector in Bugesera district, recalled how she had survived the genocide, Xinhua news agency reported. She was born in a family of 12, but only three people survived.

Murangwayire said that at the age of four, she became aware that her family members were being hunted by their neighbors, and when she asked the reason, her grandmother told her that it was because of their Tutsi ethnic identity.

Rwanda began a week of commemoration on Monday to mark the 31st anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group. The genocide in 1994 claimed more than one million people, mostly from the Tutsi ethnic group and moderate Hutus.

--IANS

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