By Jean-Pierre A
The African Union (AU), today, 7 April, joined Rwanda and the rest of the world to mark 32 years since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, with a call to raise awareness about the value of life and the defense of human rights.
The AU said via X (formerly known as twitter), that on the 32nd anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union (AU) Commission in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in Ethiopia and Permanent Mission to the AU, will commemorate the1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, under the theme: “Remember-Unite- Renew”, on 7 April 2026, at the African Union Headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The AU added ”the annual commemoration aims to continuously awaken greater awareness of the African people and the international community about the value of life and humanity and to renew collective commitment to protect and uphold fundamental human rights.”
The United Nation’s Secretary General Antonio Guteress, called on the world to learn from the past failures. Guteress said via X, on the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, we mourn the victims and pay tribute to the survivors.
“We must learn from past failures and protect the living — by rejecting hatred, inflammatory rhetoric & incitement to violence.”
According to the continental body, the event will provide an opportunity to remember the atrocities brought by the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda; “unite together in our fight against genocide, its ideology, hate speech and other crimes against humanity; and to renew our resolve to ensure that Genocide does not happen ever again. “
Representatives from the AU Member States, the AU Commission, Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the AU, AU Organs, Religious Institutions, Human Rights Institutions, Intergovernmental and Civil Society Organizations, UN Agencies, Think Tanks, International Organizations, Academic Institutions in Ethiopia, as well as, representatives of the media are expected to attend the event.
The today’s genocide commemoration event will be marked by a series of activities that include, Walk to Remember, lighting of the Flame of Remembrance, launch of the AU Human Rights Virtual Memorial: introduction of the component of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda and messages of reflection from AU officials and invited guests, among others.
The AU has been commemorating this catastrophic event since 07 April 2010. “This year marks the 32nd commemoration of those dark days, an important occasion to remember the lives lost, show solidarity with survivors and unite to ensure it never happens again – in Rwanda or elsewhere in Africa and beyond,” The AU further said adding, it is also a chance to learn about Rwanda’s story of reconciliation, conflict resolution mechanisms, nation building and home-grown solutions.
According to the United Nations, more than one million people – overwhelmingly Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide – were systematically killed in less than three months.
