The High Commission of Rwanda in India, through its Honorary Consul office in Karnataka, observed the 18 Commemoration of Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda here on Sunday.
The event was held in line with the United Nation's resolution that calls April 7 as the “Day of reflection on the Rwandan Genocide”. This year's commemoration was held under the theme, “Let's learn from our history to shape a bright future”.
The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi tribe claimed over a million lives over a period of 100 days.
The commemoration began with a peace march called “Walk2Remember”, in which African students and others participated. This was followed by a programme at Bangalore University where, among other things, video testimonies by survivors of the genocide were played. The programme was organised jointly by Bangalore University.
Williams Nkurunziza, High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda, said that despite the dark days, the country has risen and made “unbelievable progress”.
“Between 2000 and 2011, the economy of Rwanda has expanded by 300 per cent. The level of poverty has been slashed by 12.5 per cent since then. The economy is expected to remain on a robust upward trajectory for many years. Moreover, 50 per cent of our population constitutes those born after 1994,” he added.
Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor N. Prabhu Dev said, “We are looking at the possibilities of coming up with a medical university and a traditional university in Rwanda. The university will be an extension of Bangalore University.”