Rwandans gather for 16th Genocide commemoration

Thousands of Rwandans gathered at Kigali Genocide Memorial site Wednesday April 7, 2010 to commemorate their loved ones lost during the 1994 brutal killing that lasted for only 100 days. It is also the beginning of the official one week of mourning in commemoration of over one million Tutsi and moderate Hutus who died in a period of three month.
All business and health outlets were closed till 3:00pm to give value the commemoration event. Residents woke up in the morning with one agenda to the memorial site where all government officials also attended and there after to Amahoro National Stadium where various speeches and items to mark the beginning of the seven days of mourning were conducted. Rwanda organised countrywide series of events on Wednesday to mark the 16th commemoration of Genocide including lighting a torch of hope at Kigali Genocide Memorial Site which will be burning for three month, walk to remember and different night vigil. All the series of events of 16th commemoration of Genocide were led by President Paul Kagame basing in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali beginning by putting a wretch on a mass grave and lighting a torch of hope at Kigali Memorial Site a companied by his wife Mrs Janet Kagame. While addressing hundreds of Rwandans at the beginning of the national mourning week President Paul Kagame called upon all Rwandans to remember and mourn for the dead but also to value their dignity as they strive for the future. Kagame said that Rwandans would keep commemorating the genocide to keep the memory of the atrocities caused by the convergence of bad national and international politics. In his speech, Kagame noted that though Rwandans had power to change their national politics, they could not do much in changing bad international politics that continue to interfere with their national politics. “As we pray and mourn for our relatives who perished in the genocide, we should also smile and laugh, keep our hopes high as the only way to keep our country’s dignity. We know the value of freedom, we know the value of justice, and the value of democracy, Some people want to encourage bad politics in our country but we shall not sit back," Kagame said. "It is an expression of contempt these people have for Rwandans or for Africans that they think Africans deserve to be led by people who think they know better what we deserve, but we should not allow these kinds of people,” Kagame said amidst applause. “We will keep commemorating the genocide in order to keep remembering the effects of the bad national and international politics on our history,” he added asking Rwandans to resist such kinds of politics if necessary fighting those who look at Rwanda with contempt so as to keep the dignity of the country. Theodore Simburudali the president of Genocide Survivors Association, Ibuka requested the government to put a policy that would regulate those who visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre to prevent genocide deniers from mocking the survivors of the Genocide through careless speeches. Recently the presidential contestant Victorie Ingabire visited the memorial site and told the press after, that there was a double Genocide criticising the memorial site saying it was only for Tutsis. Simburudali attacked politicians who use Genocide memorial sites to advance their negativity about the current government and politicizing the whole issue. Others government officials attended include Joseph Habineza the minister of Sports and Culture, and Jean d’ Due Mucyo the executive secretary of the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide(CNLG).

 Shocking tragedy
A boat which was carrying 68 passengers to Kibuye in western province for a commemoration event sunk and 6 people died on spot. Twelve others are feared dead because they are still missing while the remaining 50 passengers have been rescued by marine team and have been hospitalised in a government facility. According to eye witnesses the boat is said to have overturned in strong winds on Lake Kivu which shares border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This year’s commemoration of Genocide emphasised on helping traumatised survivors of the 1994 Genocide. Recently, mental health experts made a call to all Rwandans to show support and care to traumatized people, especially during the commemoration period. Citing statistics from a recent survey, the medics noted that 79 percent of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) cases are reported during the commemoration period. Sixteen years after the 1994 Genocide, the country records an increasing number of trauma cases due to effects of the genocide.