Kwibuka

130 attendees convened at the event

Kwibuka 27 in the UAE

RWANDANS, FRIENDS OF RWANDA IN UAE MARK THE 27TH COMMEMORATION OF THE 1994 GENOCIDE AGAINST THE TUTSI

Post the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, thanks to the visionary leadership under President Paul Kagame, Rwanda has risen from the ashes and the renewal journey has been built on key pillars of unity, accountability and people centered development.

Rwandans and friends of Rwanda in the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Bahrain came together in Dubai and remotely last month, on Friday 21st May to honor over a million lives killed in a gruesome way during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Addressing the audience, H.E. Emmanuel Hategeka, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the UAE paid tribute to victims and honored survivors who gave all they could by way of forgiveness. He noted that the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi is a stark reminder of the greatest failure of humanity and total failure of the international community in recent history. He called for fighting genocide denial and revisionism.

“The genocide against the Tutsi was stopped 27 years ago, but the genocide ideology and genocide suspects still at large continue to propagate genocide denial and revisionism even among the unborn youth at the time, making the commitment to never again almost mission impossible. On this occasion, I urge the youth in whose hands the future of our country lies to distance themselves from genocide ideology, genocide denial and revisionist narratives,” H.E. Ambassador Hategeka urged.

“We also call upon the international community to recommit to Never Again by bringing to justice genocide suspects still at large. There are now 1,100 genocide fugitives roaming in different countries and they have not been apprehended,” H.E. Ambassador Hategeka added.

H.E. Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation expressed compassion and solidarity: “I am deeply honored and humbled to represent my country at this 27th Commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. This is a very important moment and a very important milestone for us to remember and honor the victims and also for us to pay respect to the survivors and ensure that what happened never happens again. There is a lot of respect, compassion and solidarity from the people of the United Arab Emirates and from the leadership of the United Arab Emirates towards our fellow brethren in Rwanda and also the leadership of Rwanda led by H.E. the President Paul Kagame, who we hold a lot of respect for; we continue to enjoy strong relations with Rwanda.”

FROM ASHES TO A GREAT RISE Post the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, thanks to the visionary leadership under President Paul Kagame, Rwanda has risen from the ashes and the renewal journey has been built on key pillars of unity, accountability and people centered development.

In April, 2011 while speaking at the 17th Commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi, President Kagame said: “The body of Rwanda was tortured, assaulted, and succumbed but the spirit never died. It is that spirit that should fight on, that spirit will never and should never be defeated. Defending Rwanda’s spirit is within our reach and means.”

More than 90% of Rwandans are currently covered by community-based health insurance scheme. Education, which was polarized by those who controlled the ship of the state before 1994, has experienced a sharp transformation with universal education granted to all children. Electricity connectivity rate in Rwanda is at 61.5% while 87.4% have access to clean water.

Infrastructures that include roads, health facilities and schools saw a dramatic rise. Rule of law, peace, and stability, zero tolerance to corruption have replaced anarchy that existed before. Rwanda is among top four least corrupt countries in Africa. The country ranks first in East Africa and 37th globally in adherence to rule of law according to recent reports.

The economy was growing at a healthy average of 8% for the last decade preCOVID19. The new economy outlook suggests that Rwanda which had a 0.2% growth in 2020 will recover to a 5.7% this year and 6.8% which is relatively close to the earlier 8% growth before the pandemic.

The Vision 2050 sets a new pathway that will lead the country to the living standards of upper middle income by 2035 and high-income countries by 2050.

RWANDA: AN INVITATION TO EXPERIENCE AN EVOLVING STORY OF HOPE In an earlier conversation between H. E. Emmanuel Hategeka, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the UAE and Travel Essence Magazine, we asked him where, should one find themselves headed to Rwanda either for business or leisure, they could go to learn more on the history of Rwanda and subsequent milestones as part of the national healing process.

“No visit to Rwanda would be complete without exploring our capital city Kigali, which was founded as an administrative outpost in 1907 and became the capital at independence in 1962. The Kigali Genocide Memorial is a powerful educational experience for visitors which, through education and peacebuilding, honors the memory of and pays tribute to the more than one million Rwandans killed in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi,” he cited.

Rwanda, most referred to as the Land of a Thousand Hills, provides a scenic backdrop from which one can truly connect with the heart of a nation, and its pursuit to become a beacon of inspiration for other nations that have endured a dark past. With a breathtaking showcase of natural splendor across the East African nation’s national parks, visitors are spoilt for choice and slated to enjoy a memorable experience that connects them to the success story of a nation undergoing continued innovation in governance, innovation, and social security.

“Rwanda is truly a dream destination. It is safe and clean, you get to see the Big Six including Mountain Gorillas, the perfect experience with rich fauna and flora - from the savannah to the great lakes and mountain rain forests. I would say it is one destination that one must experience for themselves to deeply appreciate what the nation offers. The Land of a Thousand Hills is open and welcomes travellers from across the globe to experience a loving people, and to explore breathtaking landscapes that bring you in complete harmony with nature!” H.E Emmanuel Hategeka shared.

Uruyange Ballet performed commemoration songs

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