Jacqueline Mukangira, Rwanda’s High Commissioner to India, reflected on the international community’s failure to act during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Speaking at an event in New Delhi, India, to commemorate the genocide, Mukangira warned against denial of the atrocities and called on governments to arrest and prosecute identified and confirmed genocide fugitives residing in their countries. She commended the bravery of the Rwandese Patriotic Army, led by President Paul Kagame, which fought and stopped the genocide.
The event was attended by Rwandans living in India, diplomats, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, academia, the business community, civil society organizations, and others. The session included an exhibition that attracted around 100 students and teachers from New Delhi schools. The students made presentations on the atrocities of the genocide and conveyed messages related to the promotion of positive coexistence, love, and peace over any types of discrimination, hatred, and conflicts.
Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF’s Representative to India, delivered the message of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Meenakashi Lekhi, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, who graced the occasion as chief guest, expressed her deep empathy for the pain of genocide survivors and praised the resilience of the people of Rwanda. Lekhi also noted that in 1993, India warned the UN that there was a threat of genocide in Rwanda if any countermeasures were not taken by the international community. She commended the existing bilateral relations between Rwanda and India, which have been strengthened by President Kagame’s visits to India and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Rwanda.
