President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has confirmed that his discussions with Hon. Bill Clinton included the persistent challenge of global acknowledgment of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
This revelation came during a press conference at the Kigali Convention Centre, where both local and international journalists were present.
Responding to a question from Edmund Kagire of Kigali Today regarding his conversation with former US President Bill Clinton about some world leaders who resist acknowledging the true definition of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, President Kagame emphasized Rwanda’s need for a single day in the year, April 7th, dedicated to mourning and commemorating the genocide victims.
President Kagame stated, ” That one was an element of discussion but among many other more important things.”
He illustrated the issue with an example, recalling messages received by Rwanda during the 2014 or 2015 commemorations.
“We received messages sympathizing with us and acknowledging Kwibuka, but then there were also mentions of democracy, human rights, and freedoms, concepts we’re often lectured about not having in our country,” explained the Head of State.
In response, Rwanda penned a letter, personally authored by President Kagame, to the US.
“In the letter we told them, feel free to commemorate with us if you want, and feel free also to tell us whatever you don’t like about us but our ask is one, when it is the day of commemoration which is April 7, can you be kind enough to commemorate with us? And stop there,” President Kagame elaborated.
He emphasized Rwanda’s plea for global solidarity on this particular day: “Out of 365 days in a year, give us that day of April 7, commemorate with us and then you can have the rest days blaming us every day for everything you don’t like about us.”
According to Rwanda’s Presidency, President Kagame and Clinton also delved into Rwanda’s remarkable transformation over the past three decades and underscored the importance of fostering mutually respectful bilateral relations.
Furthermore, they exchanged views on regional security challenges and concurred on the necessity for a political resolution addressing the root causes of conflict in Eastern DRC, which reverberates across the broader region.
Former US President Bill Clinton led the Presidential Delegation appointed by President Joe Biden to partake in the 30th Commemoration of the Genocide Against the Tutsi, affirming the enduring commitment of the United States to honoring the memory of the genocide victims.
Photo: Urugwiro Village
