The Executive Director of the Memory and Genocide Prevention Department, Veneranda Ingabire, delivered a keynote address at the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, held at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, where she called for global action against genocide denial.

In the presence of U.S. Ambassador Eric W. Kneedler, the President of IBUKA, embassy staff, and families of victims, Ingabire paid tribute to former embassy employees who were murdered during the Genocide for being Tutsi. She hailed the enduring commitment of the United States Embassy in preserving their memory and supporting survivors.

“This year’s commemoration carries a special significance,” Ingabire said. “Rwandans who were abandoned in 1994 took their destiny into their own hands, rebuilding a united nation rooted in reconciliation and cultural values that reject division.”

She retraced the roots of the genocide against the Tutsi, citing decades of ethnic division propagated since colonial times, exacerbated by successive governments, extremist political parties, and media propaganda. Ingabire underlined the genocide’s orchestration under the MRND regime and the full-scale slaughter launched on 7^th April 7, by the interim government led by Theodore Sindikubwabo and Jean Kambanda.

“The genocide lasted 100 days. More than one million Tutsi were killed,” she stated. “The Rwanda Patriotic Front stopped the Genocide in July 1994, and what followed was a journey of rebuilding, reconciliation, and unity.”

Highlighting Rwanda’s post-genocide progress, Ingabire emphasized the role of national unity policies like “Ndi Umunyarwanda” and thanked Rwanda’s international allies, particularly the United States, for walking alongside the country through recovery.

However, Ingabire warned of continuing threats. “Genocide ideology has not died,” she said, pointing to hate speech and incitement in the region, particularly targeting Congolese Tutsi and Banyamulenge communities. She drew parallels with Rwanda in 1994, decrying the failure to learn from history.

“It is absurd to witness the same warning signs today in Eastern DRC,” she warned. “Dehumanizing language, state-sponsored hate, and ethnic profiling are alarmingly similar to what preceded the 1994 genocide.”

She criticized certain Western countries for giving cover to genocide ideologues and emphasized the role of social media in amplifying denial and distortion. “Genocide denial started even while the Genocide was happening,” she said, “and today it mutates to serve those who want a divided Rwanda.”

Ingabire called on the international community to uphold the 1948 Genocide Convention and implement UN Security Council Resolution 2150, which obliges states to prosecute or extradite genocide fugitives.

She concluded with a call for collective responsibility. “We must ensure that ‘Never Again’ becomes reality, not just for Rwanda, but for humanity,” she said. “We Remember, We Unite, We Renew.”

The Kwibuka 31 event at the U.S. Embassy served as a moment of solemn remembrance and a renewed call for global vigilance against genocide ideology in all its forms.