In her address, delivered during the official Kwibuka31 event for the Rwandan community in Liège on April 12, Ikirizaboro asserted that remembrance should never be contingent on international tensions or fluctuating political interests.
'The duty of remembrance must never depend on geopolitical considerations... The memory of the victims cannot be adjusted for political convenience. It demands consistency, truth, and courage,' Ikirizaboro declared, speaking to mourners and survivors who assembled despite the city's leaders absence.
'Can inaction or silence be justified, even under so-called 'geopolitical' pretexts? No. Inaction, even from afar, normalizes evil. And forgetting kills a second time,' she added with conviction.
Ikirizaboro described the withdrawal as more than just a refusal, labeling it an act that 'reopens our wounds and awakens our old demons.' Nevertheless, she affirmed the unwavering resolve of the Rwandan community in Liège to honor the memory of the over one million lives lost.
'It is together, and only together, that we will continue to honor the memory of the victims and uphold the values of peace, justice, and human rights,' she concluded with determination.
Michael Bisschops, president of Les Territoires de la Mémoire, an organization which works with URGT to organize commemoration events, also challenged the consequences of silence and political disengagement in the face of historical responsibility.
Speaking on behalf of the organization, Bisschops reflected on the decision by city officials in Liège to abstain from the commemoration, characterizing it not as a logistical matter but as a profound moral failing.
'Not commemorating is to abandonâ€"againâ€"those who were massacred in silence. It is to let their cries fade, as if their lives never mattered,' he declared somberly.
Referencing Primo Levi's stark warningâ€"'what happened could happen again'â€"Bisschops urged participants to reject indifference cloaked in neutrality.
'Your silenceâ€"your absence here todayâ€"is also a political message. A message we hear. A message we reject,' Bisschops continued, directly addressing the city's withdrawal, which was attributed to 'geopolitical issues' in the Great Lakes region.
'Liège should not have stepped away. Liège should have remained faithful to its history and to the values it stands for. To forget, to retreat, is a grave mistake at a time when politics of hatred and division are intensifying across the world,' he added with concern.
The commemoration week concluded on Sunday, April 13, coinciding with the remembrance of politicians assassinated for their opposition to the genocide plans and their execution.
However, the spirit of remembrance and commemorative activities will continue for 100 days, marking each day of the horrific period during which over one million Tutsi were brutally murdered.
Photos from the commemoration event held at the Memorial in Liège.
IGIHE
