24th Commemoration of the Genocide Against the Tutsi
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 5th April, 2018:
0n 7th April 2018 the East African Community in collaboration with the Rwandan Community in Arusha and Moshi, and the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals will commemorate the 24th Anniversary of the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
This year, Rwanda marks the 24th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Themed “Remember – Unite - Renew” this year, the commemoration which is done annually on this date is an occasion to pay tribute to the more than one million innocent lives lost through the heinous extermination of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994.
The commemoration will begin with a walk to remember from the East African Community Secretariat Headquarters to Arusha City Centre (Clock Tower) followed by a wreath laying ceremony led by the Regional Commissioner of the URT in Arusha Mr. Mrisho Gambo, the High Commissioner of Rwanda in URT Mr. Eugene Kayihura and the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko and other distinguished guests.
The commemoration will therefore bring together a broad spectrum of stakeholders including local government, religious groups, Development Partners attached to EAC, Rwandans from the diaspora in Arusha, Tanga and Moshi, EAC staff, United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals, University youth and school children.
Rwanda experienced a tragedy in which over a Million innocent Tutsis were savagely exterminated in a very horrific and systematic manner, during a three months’ Genocidal killing from 7th April to 2nd July in 1994; meaning that on average, 10,000 people were killed per day, yet all this happened as the entire world was simply watching.
As it has been a tradition, the Governments and the people of East African Community will stand in solidarity with the Government and people of Rwanda during these trying moment. As part of the process of taking full ownership of the annual event for the commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the EAC Council of Ministers has set aside in the FY 2017/2018 EAC calendar of activities the date of 7th April 2018 for the 24th Commemoration.
“I am happy that the EAC has taken this commendable decision’’, said Hon. Christophe Bazivamo, the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, and having this activity under his docket.
The Deputy Secretary General further disclosed that to ensure full ownership of the event by EAC, prior to the above Council decision and at this time last year, the EAC Executives had put in place an Ad Hoc EAC Internal Organization Committee for Commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda led by the Directors of Social and Productive Sectors and composed of members from all EAC departments stakeholder to the event.
The aforementioned Committee has now started the preparations, doing all it takes for the commemoration activities to smoothly take place on 7th April 2018 as planned.
The EAC Secretariat has invited all the Secretariat staff, those of institutions and EAC organs to be part of the event and stand united in solidarity with the Government and People of Rwanda in commemorating the 24th anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi; and to promote a culture of tolerance and peaceful co-existence in the East African Region.
The event will take place at EAC HQs Main Hall on 7th April 2018 from 10 am.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified