Rwanda High Commission in Uganda Announces Events for 30th Anniversary of Rwandan Genocide

The Rwanda High Commission in Uganda has organized a series of events to mark the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. The main commemoration will take place at the Ggolo Genocide Memorial Site in Mpigi District on April 20, 2024.

During a press briefing at the Rwandan High Commission in Kampala, the Rwandan Ambassador to Uganda, Joseph Rutabana, highlighted the significance of this year’s commemoration. He noted that it represents a full generational cycle since the genocide ended, offering a crucial moment to reflect on Rwanda’s transformative journey over the past three decades.

Ambassador Rutabana announced that the national mourning period would begin on April 7 and continue for 100 days, concluding on July 3, 2024. He also mentioned that the High Commission has planned various activities, including a public lecture on April 17, in collaboration with Makerere University.

The commemoration is expected to draw over 700 attendees, including members of the Rwandan community in Uganda, government dignitaries, diplomatic figures, academic scholars, religious leaders, and genocide survivors.

Genocide commemorations hold particular importance in Uganda due to the interment of over 10,900 victims at various sites across the country, including Lambu in Masaka District and Kasensero in Rakai District.

In a related development, a video message from French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to be broadcast during the commemoration. In it, he admits that France and other nations could have intervened to stop the 1994 genocide, during which ethnic Hutu extremists massacred over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Notable international figures, including French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné and former US President Bill Clinton, are expected to attend the event.