On April 7, Rwandans and high-ranking government officials in South Korea observed the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The event was organized by the Rwandan embassy in South Korea and was held at the War Memorial museum, where more than 200 individuals were in attendance. The guests included up to 60 diplomats residing in the Korean capital, officials from the Korean government, friends of Rwanda, members of the Rwandan community, and individuals from the business and academic sectors.
Park Yongmin, the Deputy Minister of Multilateral and Global Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Korea, who had previously served as Korea’s envoy to Rwanda in 2015, delivered a speech at the ceremony. He emphasized Korea’s commitment to working alongside Rwanda and the rest of the world to achieve a better future based on the lessons of Kwibuka, as the two countries have similar experiences and foundations.
Ban Ki-moon, the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, was also in attendance and praised Rwanda’s resilience over the past 29 years. He recognized Rwanda’s successful rebirth and emphasized the importance of the UN’s commitment of ‘Never again’ after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Yasmin Amri Sued, Rwanda’s ambassador to South Korea, shared the history that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and emphasized the need to combat hate speech and genocide ideology. Finally, a delegation from Rwanda led by Lt Col David Bahati Mutayomba from the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College also participated in the commemoration.
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