Antwerp joined other Belgian citiesâ€"Brussels, Liège, Namur, Bruges, and Ottignies-Louvain-La-Neuveâ€"that have held remembrance events this year.
The commemoration began with a "Walk to Remember" from Marnixplaats in Antwerp, leading to the DIVA Museum. The evening continued with a remembrance ceremony in the district of Ekeren, in the province of Antwerp.
Speaking at the event, Steve Rugamba, President of the Rwandan Community in Antwerp, highlighted the long history of persecution against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
'From 1959 to 1994, Tutsi in Rwanda were systematically dehumanized. They were excluded, persecuted, displaced, and killedâ€"portrayed as pests, like cockroaches or snakes, as evil to be eradicated. Children grew up believing some people were not worthy of life.
"And then, in just a hundred days, words became actions. Over a million people were brutally slaughtered. No one was sparedâ€"not a child, not a mother, not a grandparent,' he said.
Rugamba emphasized that remembrance is not just about the tragic events of 1994 but also about acknowledging the decades of silence, propaganda, and systemic discrimination that led to it.
'We commemorate not out of habit, but out of dutyâ€"because we refuse to forget. To remember is to acknowledge, to learn, and to warn. We pay tribute to the victims and to the survivors, whose very existence is a form of resistance.'
He praised the resilience of survivors, noting their strength in rebuilding lives and communities despite deep emotional and physical wounds.
'Their ability to live with dignity, raise families, and pursue truth, even after such horror, proves that human dignity cannot be destroyedâ€"even by hatred passed down through generations.'
Rugamba also called on young people to take up the mantle of remembrance: 'You, the youth of today and tomorrow, are not only heirs of this historyâ€"you are its guardians. Remembering means understanding how fear, division, and silence can lead to barbarity. Let 'Never Again' be more than a slogan. Let it be a commitment and a call to action.'
The event featured a powerful testimony from Umunyana Claudette, who spoke of the discrimination she faced before 1994, the suffering she endured during the genocideâ€"including rape and the loss of relativesâ€"and how she survived despite deep physical and emotional trauma.
Umunyana also shared a message of hope and healing, explaining how she chose to rise above hatred and raise her children in love, refusing to let a dark past define her future.
Mutabazi Eugène, President of Ibuka-Belgium, reiterated the importance of remembrance and made a symbolic appeal for historical justice.
'One important and powerful step that will allow us to fully and truthfully rebuild ourselves is for King Yuhi Musinga, who is kept in the Tervuren Museum in Belgium, to be returned to the Shyerezo memorial, to the land of his ancestors,' he stated.
Gunther Vanpraet, Honorary Consul of Rwanda in Antwerp, stressed the importance of commemorating the victims and reaffirmed solidarity with survivors of the genocide.
Commemorative activities across Belgium began on April 7, 2024, and are scheduled to continue in other cities including Mons, Charleroi, Tournai, and Leuven.
Walk to remember in Antwerp
Commemoration talks
Karirima Aimable Ngarambe
