Rwanda has called on the international community to take collective responsibility for preventing genocide, preserving historical truth and fighting genocide ideology, stressing that remembrance must go beyond national borders.

Rwanda’s Ambassador to the Republic of Congo, Parfait Busabizwa, made the call during a conference held in Brazzaville on October 30, 2026, organised by the Rwandan Embassy to educate the public, particularly young people, about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Held under the theme “The Genocide against the Tutsi: The Responsibility to Remember and Prevent Its Recurrence,” the event attracted more than 400 participants, including diplomats, government officials, religious leaders, journalists, academics and university students.

Addressing participants, Ambassador Busabizwa emphasised that the genocide was not accidental but resulted from years of planning, discrimination and hate propaganda targeting the Tutsi.

He also highlighted the international community’s failure to respond adequately to warnings before the genocide, underlining the importance of accountability and justice in preventing impunity.

Busabizwa stressed that using the correct name, the Genocide against the Tutsi, is essential to protecting historical truth and countering denial and distortion. He cautioned against narratives that portray the genocide as an ordinary ethnic conflict or violence between two equal sides.

The discussions also examined the role of education, media and justice in preventing future atrocities.

Journalist Mehdi Ba of Jeune Afrique highlighted the media’s responsibility to report accurately and challenge hate speech. Professor Jean-Pierre Karegeye discussed the responsibility of experts in protecting historical truth, while Dr Samantha J. Lakin examined Rwanda’s efforts to bring genocide perpetrators to justice.

Dr Appolos D. Mebardoum from Chad also shared his experience of visiting Rwanda in 1995 while working with Médecins Sans Frontières.

Participants further discussed the importance of engaging young people, including descendants of Rwandan refugee families living across Africa, in defending historical truth.

The conference concluded with a call for collective action to preserve memory, fight genocide ideology and promote peace, unity and reconciliation.

A little more informed. A little more connected.