This ceremony took place at the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi, where the remains of 259,000 victims from the districts of Gasabo, Kicukiro, and Nyarugenge in Kigali are laid to rest.
April 7th is recognized as the international day of reflection on the Genocide committed against the Tutsi in 1994. A day observed worldwide to remember the over one million lives lost in just 100 days.
Before lighting the flame of hope that will burn for 100 days, President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame laid wreaths on the mass graves and paid tribute to the victims.
Kagame later thanked both Rwandans and foreigners who joined Rwanda in launching the 31st commemoration week. "I thank you because, often, as we continue to see it, the truth is no longer the basis for understanding what happened," he said
Among the attendees were government leaders, representatives from genocide survivor organizations, friends of Rwanda, and others.
On January 26, 2018, the United Nations officially designated April 7 as the international day of reflection on the Genocide against the Tutsi, a name that was adopted to reflect the truth of the tragic events.
A survey conducted by the Ministry of Local Government between 2000 and 2002 revealed that 1,074,017 Tutsis were killed during the hundred days from April to July 1994.
This report, released in 2004, documented the locations where the victims lived, their ages, and even the ways in which many of them met their deaths.
IGIHE
