In the course of three months in 1994, between 800 000 and 1 million Rwandans were brutally slaughtered in systemised attacks. The reconciliation process that followed has been hailed all over the world. But for many Rwandans the hundred days of horror linger. More than a lesson in reconciliation and how to move on, the Rwanda genocide is a lesson in the importance of intervening.
25 years have passed since the genocide in Rwanda. In 2003, the UN designated the 7th April as “the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda” to ensure that the genocide is not forgotten. It also serves to remind us of the danger of divisive politics and to no longer be bystanders of atrocity.
In this blog post, Anna Gopsill reflects on genocide, justice and memory in Rwanda. And reminds us why it is important not to forget.