Rwanda marks 25th anniversary of 1994 genocide

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01:10

The Rwandan government on Sunday morning started commemoration marking the 25th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against Tutsi, raising the curtain of a three-month remembrance period.

The genocide claimed the lives of over 1 million people, mainly ethnic Tutsis. The annual commemoration is held every year from April 7 to July 4 in line with the period of the genocide.

"In 1994 there was no hope, only darkness. Today light radiates from this place," President of Rwanda Paul Kagame said during the memorial.

The commemoration, named "Kwibuka," meaning "to remember" in English, started with the laying of wreaths at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the genocide, followed by a commemoration ceremony in Kigali Convention Center.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his wife Jeannette Kagame arrive for a commemoration ceremony of the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide at the Genocide Memorial in Gisozi in Kigali, Rwanda, April 7, 2019. /VCG Photo

Besides the president, First Lady Jeannette Kagame, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker jointly lit the flame of remembrance after laying wreaths together with other heads of state and government at the memorial.

Many commemorate April 7

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to declare April 7 as a national day of commemoration of the Rwandan genocide, his Elysee office announced in a statement on Sunday.

The United Nations has made the recognition long ago, although recently in January 2018, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that changes the designation of April 7 to "the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda" from the name of "the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda" as was used in a December 2003 resolution.

(With inputs from agencies)