Rwanda marks genocide anniversary

KIGALI. – Rwanda President Paul Kagame says lies and falsehoods about his country motivated by petty resentments do not define the country and will not determine the country’s fate.

Kagame was speaking at a ceremony to mark the 27th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi attended by about 500 Rwandans and friends of Rwanda at the Kigali Arena.

Kagame observed that often, there have been campaigns built on lies driven by disgraced former government officials and motivated by petty resentment.

The campaigns, he noted are often geared at altering falsehoods to make them facts, consequently making victims come off as the villains.

With that, acts of terrorism are portrayed as principled expressions of opposition and dissent, while Rwanda’s response is singled out for criticism.

“My friends, you can tell any lie about me; you are free to do so. You can pile up tons of lies; it won’t change me, absolutely not. It won’t change this country to be what you want it to be. It doesn’t matter how many lies. That I can promise you,” he said.

The lies and falsehoods take multiple shapes and forms including publications by well-known publishers, reports by renowned organisations, misrepresentation of facts and statements by leaders among others.

Kagame noted that in other instances, misrepresentation of facts about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi have been evident in terminology. Some, he said, are hesitant to term it rightfully as the Genocide against the Tutsi in an attempt to preserve their own narratives or avoid responsibility.

“Despite a unanimous resolution by the United Nations General Assembly, there are still one or two countries which stubbornly refuse to use the phrase Genocide against the Tutsi. In the whole of the General Assembly they have that understanding, except one or two, just as they resisted using the word genocide in 1994,” he said. “Specialists and human rights groups remain silent about the obvious dangers, reluctant to say anything that might be seen to vindicate the Rwandan government.”