Hundreds of Rwandese in Ghana over the weekend commemorated the 22nd anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda.
The genocide which occurred in 1994 saw the mass killing of Tutsi’s, a minority ethnic group.
About 800,000 Tutsi’s were reportedly killed in the genocide.
The solemn event brought together friends and families of Rwandese living in Ghana and also saw some members of the diplomatic corps participating in the event.
Speaking at the commemoration, a representative of the Rwandan High Commissioner in Nigeria and Ghana Protogene Nsengumuremyi said Rwandese were proud to annually mark the tragedy since it is a way to further unite citizens of that country.
“We are proud to celebrate our national identity as Rwandans. We are proudly Rwandans. This onset of ‘I am Rwandan’ is one of the homegrown solutions that helped to restore unity and reconciliation and dignity among Rwandans. Although people have been killed the spirit of Rwandans will never die,” he said.
He added that in 1994 Rwandans were abandoned by the country’s army, the international community and the United Nations peacekeepers.
Rwanda, he said, was contributing to maintaining global peace by providing troops for international peacekeeping operations.
“Today Rwanda is responding to those in distress beyond its borders and is committed to fight genocide and other atrocities in the world,” he said.
According to him Rwanda has witnessed massive political, economic and social development under the leadership of President Paul Kagame.
For his part, a Research Fellow at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Center, Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso said the United Nations has failed to prevent conflicts and other atrocities around the world.
He cited the current conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen to back his claims that the UN had failed to ensure global peace.
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By: Franklin Badu Jnr/citifmonline.com