Prof. Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba said that even before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi took place, there had long been warning signs that it would happen, but the international community ignored them. Even when it was happening, the entire 100 days passed without any action being taken.
He made these remarks in Kenya during a conference aimed at preventing genocide, where he highlighted the failure of the international community to act and stop the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994.
He explained that even before it was carried out, warning signs were already visible, as Tutsis had long been subjected to persecution in Rwanda.
He stated: “The signs were there. Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) was live, constantly broadcast t them. Men were being called cockroaches, The world watched, East Africa watched, Africa watched, the big powers of the world with the nuclear weapons watched, The United Nations watched for 100 days, the world watched.”
He emphasized that throughout those 100 days, the international community remained inactive while atrocities were being committed in Rwanda, with Tutsis being killed day and night.
He said: “For 100 days, neighbors rose against neighbors, husbands against wives, places of worship which ought to be places of refuge were turned into slaughter houses,”
He added: “The world knew what ought to be done, but the world was paralyzed. We did nothing. We lived at a time where denialism and divisionism are with us.”
Prof. Lumumba also noted that it is deeply troubling that some countries initially denied that what was happening in Rwanda was genocide. Even today, there are individuals who deny or minimize it, something he says aligns with the intentions of those who planned and carried it out, as they believe their mission is not yet complete.
He stated: “That is why we gather every year to remember and to remind ourselves that if we choose to consign these things to the museum of history then it will be repeated again.”
He further said that Rwanda’s recovery from such a painful past, despite having very limited resources, should serve as a lesson to the world.
He explained that after the genocide, Rwanda had no functioning judicial system, yet those who stopped the genocide introduced a community-based justice system known as Gacaca Courts. These courts were not only used to punish perpetrators but also played a crucial role in rebuilding unity and reconciliation among Rwandans.
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