7 April marks the start of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. On or around that date, the United Nations organizes commemorative events at its Headquarters and its offices around the world.
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, one of the darkest chapters in human history. More than one million people – overwhelmingly Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide – were systematically killed in less than three months. On this Day, we honour those who were murdered and reflect on the suffering of those who survived.
Memory of Genocide: Story of Survival in Rwanda
Claver Irakoze was 11 years old when the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda happened in 1994. Irakoze speaks about the horror, loss and trauma he experienced through the genocide, and how he found meaning in keeping this memory alive for future generations.
Statue "Kwibuka Flame of Hope"
The statue "Kwibuka Flame of Hope", a gift from the Republic of Rwanda, was installed on 11 September 2024 in the north garden area at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Kwibuka flame symbolizes the resilience and courage of Rwandans since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, when more than one million people were systematically killed following years of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech exacerbating ethnic tensions.
© UN Photo/Manuel Elías
Introduction by the Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Global Communications, Melissa Fleming
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed was in Rwanda recently, where she paid tribute to the victims and survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial on 6 September, the Deputy Secretary-General offered a wreath of white flowers at the final resting site of over 250,000 genocide victims and observed a moment of silence, before adding a personal message to the memorial guest book.
“We must never forget. We must always protect our social fabric and the strength of its diversity,” the Deputy Secretary-General wrote on social media that day, noting that 2024 is the thirtieth anniversary of the genocide.
© United Nations
Hate speech in media and social media – Lessons from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
The Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations hold a virtual panel discussion to explore valuable lessons learned from the role of media-led hate speech played in inciting the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
The event took place during Kwibuka, which is the 100 days of remembrance of the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and ahead of the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.
4 June 2024
One should never lose sight that for people who experienced genocide, the warning signs were there. Genocide is a process. It requires preparation and capacities to carry it out.
In this article from Africa Renewal, Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu speaks on remembering those whose futures were taken away, and those at risk across the world today.
© UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
The Power of Post-genocide Reconciliation (00:00:54)
Eric E. Murangwa "Football saved my life" (00:16:35)
On justice and the reconciliation process; preventing genocide; the responsibility to protect; and on sexual violence used as a tool of war.
Judicial audio archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda providing valuable insight.
Since the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, the United Nations has been a fundamental partner in the reconstruction of Rwanda.
The United Nations system in Rwanda consists of 22 UN agencies, programmes, and funds, both resident and non-resident.
Since 2008, the UN system in Rwanda has been delivering as one: ‘One UN’. This means: one leader – the UN Resident Coordinator; one budget; one programme – the five-year Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP II); and one voice. ‘One UN’ capitalizes on the strengths and comparative advantages of the different UN agencies in the UN system and calls for coordinated endeavors for achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to Transform Our World that were set out in Agenda 2030.
Between 2018-2023, the One UN Rwanda has budgeted around US $631 million to assist the country in its development.
ONE UN Rwanda >>
IOM aids Rwandan returnees from Tanzania. © IOM.
Remember. Unite. Renew.
Laurence Niyonangira survived the genocide, but 37 of her relatives were killed. She was 20 years old.
Xavier Nemeye was 30 years old when he took part in the genocide.
Today, Rwanda is a testament to the power of post-genocide reconciliation.
Among the stories of hope is that of Laurence, a survivor, and Xavier, her family’s killer, who now live as friends.
35 Children:
Visual & Aural Narratives
In an effort to understand and define the underlying tone of the first post-genocide generation in Rwanda, children (ranging in age from 6 to 15) were asked to draw pictures that portrayed them engaging in an activity with someone they respect.
Rising Rwanda is a documentary project that intertwines photography, video and in-depth interviews to tell a story of identity and culture in a post-genocidal Rwanda.
Survival and Remembrance
"This dress belongs to Clarisse Uwonkunda, my daughter; she was five during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. I found it in a grave in Rubavu, Western Province, Rwanda. Last January 2017, I went to Rwanda and wanted to find your bodies (skeleton) and restore your dignity. I found you on January 20th and took you to the memorial site of Nyanza, Kicukiro." - Immaculée Mukantaganira.
The objects in this exhibition reflect the lives of their one-time owners.
800,000
800,000 are the pages in 2500 books displayed in 100 crates: one page for each victim, one crate for each day of the genocide. The books were hand-bound through the collaboration of the "800,000" team, six high schools, and three groups of volunteers.
Each victim is acknowledged through a hand print on one of the 800,000 pages. The project asks to acknowledge each life lost, remember the victims, and renew hope and support.
