Today, April 7, marks the beginning of the yearly commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi people in Rwanda. This corporate time of remembrance extends for the next week and usually includes gatherings and ceremonies at the local village level and also in larger numbers at the soccer stadium in Kigali. These gatherings offer time for Rwandans to be together and show their commitment to unity that is born to some extent out of the disunity of the past.
Sadly, because of the current nationwide shutdown related to COVID-19, these community gatherings are not possible in this year of 2020. I am confident that the Rwandan people will find new ways of being "together" in spirit even if it's not physically as they progress through this meaningful week of remembering their history and remembering that their current and future strength lies in being together as one people. Rwandan.
Here is a message from Rwandan President, Paul Kagame:
President Paul Kagame -- Kwibuka 26 Message
We hope that our Rwandan friends and families will journey through this week in ways that reveal the resilience that is deep within them.
Thank you for being with them in these days and always.