Former US President Bill Clinton, along with other world leaders, arrived in Kigali on Saturday, April 6, to participate in the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The event, known as Kwibuka 30, brings together leaders such as South Sudan President Salva Kiir, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Czech Republic President Petr Pavel, Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
The week-long series of events, starting on April 7, aims to honor the memory of the more than one million people who lost their lives during the genocide that lasted 100 days. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay also attended the commemoration and handed over official certificates to four Genocide memorial sites in Rwanda that were added to the World Heritage List in 2023.
In a show of solidarity, the World Jewish Congress released a statement on April 6, expressing support for Rwandans on the 30th anniversary of the genocide. The statement highlighted the organization’s solidarity with the victims, survivors, and their descendants, honoring the lives lost and the strength of those who survived.
The United Nations has designated April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, with commemoration events held annually at the UN headquarters in New York. The presence of global leaders and organizations at Kwibuka 30 underscores the importance of remembering and honoring the victims of one of the darkest chapters in Rwandan history.
