On Thursday morning, Rwanda’s Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Dr Jean Damascène Bizimana, received Senegalese national Gen. Babacar Faye, a former officer in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda, United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Gen Faye is in Rwanda to take part in activities marking the 32nd commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, as well as the International Conference on Genocide Prevention, where he delivered a presentation on the role of the international community during the genocide and the lessons that can be drawn from it.
His visit also coincides with the 30th anniversary of IBUKA, the umbrella organisation of genocide survivors, which has played a key role in remembrance and advocacy for survivors’ rights.
During their discussions, Minister Bizimana and Gen Faye emphasized the importance of preserving evidence of the Genocide against the Tutsi to safeguard historical truth and counter denial and revisionism.
Gen Faye’s visit reflects continued international cooperation in commemorating the Genocide against the Tutsi and reinforcing efforts to ensure such atrocities never happen again, in Rwanda and beyond.
