On 21 April 2024, over 500 people, including United Arab Emirates government officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Rwandans, and friends of Rwanda, gathered in Abu Dhabi to commemorate for the 30th time the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Among the speakers at the event was Rashid Sesay, Ambassador of Sierra Leone to the United Arab Emirates and Dean of African Ambassadors, who said that Rwanda’s remarkable journey from the depths of despair to a beacon of hope and progress. It is a testament to the indomitable spirit of its people.
“The nation’s ability to heal and rebuild underscores the power of unity, determination, and the unwavering human capacity for resilience. You gave humanity a lesson that there is always hope and that no community is beyond healing and recovery if there is will and determination,” Ambassador Rashid Sesay said.
Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Arab Emirates, John Mirenge, seized the opportunity to reflect on the unimaginable human tragedy of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and Rwanda’s remarkable transformation over the last three decades.
“Three decades later, Rwanda has risen into a beacon of transformation and progress as we chose to live not only for ourselves and future generations but also for those who departed and whose dreams were cut short,” Ambassador John Mirenge said.
Ambassador John Mirenge reminds fellow Rwandans, notably the youth, that they have a collective responsibility to preserve the memory, sustain the gains made by the country in the last three decades, and contribute to the ambitious ongoing transformation journey.
