The Swedish Parliament hosted the 29th Commemoration of Genocide Against Tutsi in 1994 in Rwanda

Stockholm, Sweden - The Swedish Parliament hosted the 29th Commemoration of Genocide Against Tutsi in 1994 in Rwanda on April 18th, 2023. The event brought together international experts, survivors of the genocide against the Tutsi, government officials, friends of Rwanda and members of the Rwandan community in Sweden to commemorate the victims of the genocide and discuss the way forward.

The program began with a welcome Minute of Silence by host Hon. Momodou Malcolm Jallow, Swedish- African Parliamentarian Network Chair, followed by remarks by Josine Kanamugire, President of the Survivors Association-IBUKA Sweden. The program also included a documentary and a panel discussion on "Genocide, Discrimination, Denial, Recurrence, and the Way Forward."

The moderator for the panel discussion was Ernest Sagaga, a Journalist and Human Rights and Legal Expert, and president of IBUKA – Belgium , who has worked for the International Federation of Journalists in Brussels and the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The panelists included Providence Umugwaneza, a survivor, author, educator, and advocate living in Texas, US, Lars Arrhenius, the Equality Ombudsman of Sweden who grown up in Rwanda; Eugene Bushayija, a Development Advisor for Medecins Sans Frontières; and Göran Hjalmarsson, a lawyer specializing in international cases of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Providence Umugwaneza, one of the panelists, is a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the founder of the Kabeho Neza Initiative. She lost her parents, five siblings, and numerous extended family members during the genocide and currently leads educational programs in the U.S. to educate and raise awareness.

Lars Arrhenius, another panelist, spent much of his childhood in Rwanda, where his parents were missionaries, and witnessed the ethnic discrimination against the Tutsi that later resulted in the genocide. He currently serves as the Equality Ombudsman of Sweden.

Eugene Bushayija, a third panelist, lost a high number of his family members during the genocide and has since worked for the humanitarian medical organization Medecins Sans Frontières. He served as chair of the Rwandan Community in Sweden.

Göran Hjalmarsson, the fourth panelist, has represented victims and survivors from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in the two first trials in Sweden ever concerning the genocide. In both cases, the perpetrators were condemned to life sentences, and they are still serving time in a Swedish prison.

Musical tribute performances by Kungsholmens gymnasium (a school that has longstanding relations with high schools in Rwanda) were also included in the program.

The commemoration event featured remarks by Hon. Per Olsson Fridh, Director-General of Folke Bernadotte Academy and former Minister for International Development Cooperation, Hon. Diana Janse, Secretary of State for International Development, and Dr Diane Gashumba, Ambassador of Rwanda.

In her address at the Swedish Parliament, Ambassador Diane Gashumba expressed her gratitude to those who had made the gathering possible, saying "This is a day of remembrance, a day of unity, and a day of renewal." She emphasized the theme of this year's commemoration, "Remember, Unite, Renew," as not just a slogan, but the guiding belief of all Rwandans.

Ambassador Gashumba spoke first about the importance of remembering the genocide against the Tutsi and ensuring that justice is done. She emphasized the need to fight against genocide denial and ideology and to cherish the memories of the victims. She called on Rwandans to keep their determination alive and to work towards a future of peace.

Finally, Ambassador Gashumba spoke about the need for renewal, saying that Rwandans must renew their commitment to never again let such atrocities occur.  She highlighted Rwanda's progress since the genocide against The Tutsi and the role of RPF and its chair HE President Kagame in stopping the genocide against the Tutsi and in building a country free of discrimination and in which people and their wealth and safety count the most, stating that it is now one of the best-managed and safest countries globally. She closed her speech by expressing her gratitude to all those who have supported Rwanda and its people throughout their journey.  She highlighted the irrelevance of judging the governance a country from the so-called experts who don’t have any idea of what it takes to rebuild a country coming from a genocide. She called on friends and partners to continue to stand with Rwanda as they work towards a better future for all Rwandans.