The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker represented the European Union on Sunday 7 April in Kigali at the opening ceremony of the week to commemorate the Rwandan genocide, which marks its twenty-fifth anniversary.
It was a message of solidarity and collective responsibility, about the duty to remember, that he delivered. Recalling that “Europe has itself been the scene of some of the worst atrocities known to man. And in Europe, just as in Africa and elsewhere, time can never erase the darkest hours in our history. [...] 25 years later, Rwanda is back in the light”, he said.
On Monday, Mr Juncker laid a wreath in memory of the 14 members of the Commission delegation who died in this tragedy.
In a statement issued on 6 April, EU High Representative Federica Mogherini said: “We pay tribute to the more than 800,000 men, women and children who lost their lives as a result of inhuman atrocities deliberately committed against them.”
She also paid tribute to the resilience of Rwandans: “Twenty-five years later, Rwanda is, in many ways, a country transformed by the determination of Rwandans to rebuild both their lives and their country, and to pursue national reconciliation.” She added “In this ongoing effort, Rwandans deserve the continued support and solidarity of the international community”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)