Brussels, 08/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - The people of Rwanda can be assured that the European Union will continue to support them in their continued national reconciliation work. This was the message sent out, on Tuesday 7 April, by Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on the anniversary of the start of the genocide in Rwanda, 21 years earlier.
Speaking on behalf of the EU, the High Representative stressed that the EU joins in with the commemoration of the tragedy. “We pay tribute to the more than 800,000 men, women and children who lost their lives in inhuman and deliberate atrocities. The people of Rwanda have shown determination to rebuild both their lives and their country, and to pursue national reconciliation: in this cause they deserve the ongoing support and solidarity of the international community”, she said.
In addition to the duty of remembrance, today's commemoration “also provides an opportunity to reflect on the lessons of the past and to recall the inestimable value of peace and security across the Great Lakes region”, Mogherini added, reiterating the EU's support to sustainable development and stability throughout the region. “Never again should a group become a common target to persecution because of its identity”, she concluded. (Aminata Niang)