The ceremony brought together Rwandans from across Belgium to honor the over one million lives lost during the genocide, and to reaffirm a collective commitment to remembrance, justice, and peace.
In her keynote address, Mayor Marie-Christine Marghem of Tournai paid tribute to the victims and reflected on the universal importance of remembrance.
'Memory is not limited to recording events in the course of history,' she said.
"This long history, in which we have always been involved, has undoubtedly been marked by mistakes. However, over time, thanks to the beings of light who are capable of reaching out and recognizing human dignity, we have learned that such injustices are fundamentally unspeakable, culpable, and condemnable," Marghem added.
Claire Kayirangwa, representing Ibuka Belgique, emphasized the duty of remembrance and the importance of transmitting truth to future generations.
'We do not come merely to mourn the dead; we come to carry their memory through the generations,' she said.
'Even today, there are voices that dare to relativize or distort the truth of what happened. To those voices, we respond with dignity and determination: to remember is not to seek pityâ€"it is a moral duty and a commitment to justice,' Kayirangwa added.
Ernest Gakuba, President of the Rwandan Community in Belgium (DRB-Rugari), delivered a stirring address highlighting the role of youth in preserving memory.
'One hundred days of darkness. One hundred days when humanity failed. Today, we rememberâ€"but more than that, we act. We must pass on the memory not just to Rwandan youth, but to youth everywhere. Because today's silence can nurture tomorrow's violence,' he noted.
Gakuba also paid tribute to Corporal Bruno Méaux and the nine other Belgian peacekeepers killed in 1994, calling them 'symbols of the price paid for the silence of powerful nations.'
Gakuba praised the Rwandan Patriotic Front for its decisive role in ending the genocide when the world chose to look away.
'These young Rwandans actedâ€"not for revenge, but to save what could still be saved,' he stated.
Speakers also addressed the painful reality that, even today, some genocide suspects continue to live freely in Europe, particularly in Belgium and France.
Arnold Turagara, President of the Rwandan Community in Mons and Tournai, called attention to this ongoing injustice.
'These individuals live settled and protected, while survivors wait for justice,' he said. 'Despite these challenges, Rwanda risesâ€"not through foreign aid, but through the will and unity of its people.'
Turagara also urged Rwandan youth to carry forward the torch of truth, resilience, and national unity.
'You inherit a difficult past, but also a bright future. Let your generation be the one that defeats the silence of forgetting.'
The ceremony included the powerful testimony of Lyamukuru Félicité, a genocide survivor who also served as the master of ceremonies. Her story served as a reminder of the personal loss and resilience that shape the Rwandan identity today.
Mourners laid wreaths at two memorial sites: one honoring the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi, and the other commemorating Corporal Bruno Méaux.
The event concluded with moving performances by Suzanne Nyiranyamibwa, whose songs of remembrance echoed the collective sorrow and hope of a people determined never to forget.
Night to remember
Karirima Aimable Ngarambe
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/kwibuka31-rwandans-in-tournai-city-commemorate
