20th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi held in Arusha

East African Community Secretariat Arusha; 11 April 2014: His Excellency Benjamin William Mkapa, former President of the United Republic of Tanzania today officiated at the 20th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda held at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Addressing the huge audience that turned up for the commenration at the EAC Headquarters Main Hall, the former President saluted the Rwandan Government and Army for journeying on over the last two decades on the path of national reconciliation and nation building

He praised President Paul Kagame for having shown great vision and mobilized great contributions nationally and internationally in the project to recreate a single nation in which all citizens can live freely and securely.

“East Africans must stand by him and must continue to support the people of Rwanda to rebuild their lives and society” His Excellency Mkapa stated.

He said the Rwanda Patrriotic Front/Army single handedly put to an end the massive slaughter in Rwanda while the rest of the world did nothing to stop it.

The former President, who had earlier flagged-off Walk to Remember by the Commemorators around designated Arusha Streets, said within the region there was still great potential for people to become victims of ethnic and religiously motivated violence and hate.

At the same time there were worrying signs of ethnic exclusion and oppression emerging in some parts of the region. “This trend must stop”, stated the former President.

He said to give meaning to the slogan “Never, Never Again”, there was need to nurture national unity. “We must proclaim and practise equality of all citizens, indeed of all human beings. We must build nations on the strengthen of our diversity. We must promote regional interaction on the strength of mutual respect and mutual support”.

His Excellency Mkapa said the admission of Rwanda to the East African Community in 2007, was intended to, among others, enable the country and its people build a future without fear and full of hope with the support and solidarity of the East African citizens.

“EAC is supposed to share with the people of Rwanda the peace, stability, security, progress, respect for human life and togetherness the region enjoys. These are the key tenets of our regional integration”.

The former President urged the Partner States to enhance the region’s early warning systems for identifying and spotlighting Partner States in danger of genocidal violence, so that appropriate measures could be put in place to avert the threats.

His Excellency Mkapa urged for the establishment of Rule of Law and a veritable, credible Justice System within the region; and both civilian and military must be held accountable in cases of human rights abuses.

The former President called for the strengthening and empowering of the East African Court of Justice to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

Rather than refer cases to the International Criminal Court at the Hague, why not enable our Courts to handle these cases?”.

He applauded the EAC Heads of State for spearheading the extension of the Jurisdiction of the East African Court of Justice. At their 15th Ordinary Summit held on 30th November 2013 in Kampala, Uganda, the EAC Heads of State directed the Council of Ministers to work with the African Union on the matters regarding the extension of the Jurisdiction of the East African Court of Justice to cover crime against humanity. He said this was a good step forward.

The Secretary General of the East African Community Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera told the audience that genocide was never a spontaneous outbreak of mindless violence – and that against the Tutsi was no exception.

He said it was meticulously planned and over decades, an ideological superstructure was constructed, aimed at dehumanizing and marginalizing the Tutsi as a dangerous alien in society.

The Secretary General saluted the resilience of the Rwandan people for they have shown the whole world that it was possible to affirm humanity in the face of unimaginable horror.

“When they chose Unity and reconciliation over entrenched enmity and division, they affirmed our humanity. When they chose to reach into their rich culture to seek for restorative justice instead of revenge, they affirmed our humanity. When they chose to ask for forgiveness and to forgive, they affirmed our humanity” declared Amb. Sezibera.

Rwandese Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania His Excellence Amb. Dr. Ben Rugangazi lectured to the attentive audience on the Rwandese experience since the 1994 Genocide.

The theme EAC chose for the commemoration was; United for Solidarity and Peaceful co-existence. The choice of the theme was based on the EAC’s desire to show solidarity with the people of Rwanda during this period of grief and promote the fundamental principles of peaceful co-existence and good neighbourliness and peaceful settlements of disputes enshrined in the EAC Treaty and the Common Market Protocol.

At the commemoration, the International Crime Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was represented by the Chief of Judicial and Legal Affairs Mr. Anees Ahmed. In attendance were also the Mayor of Arusha His Worship Gaudence Lyimo and the District Commissioner Mr. John Mongera.

Others were the Judge President of the East African Court of Justice Hon. Justice Harold Nsekela and Hon. Charles Makongoro Nyerere who represented the Rt. Hon. Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, EAC staff of the Organs and Institutions; the Rwandan Community in Tanzania; Representatives of the African Court for Human and People’s Rights; African Union, University students and EAC Youth Ambassadors.

UM– USEKE.RW