31 Years After Rwanda Genocide, UN Urges World Not to Repeat Mistakes of 1994

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the global community to confront the rising tide of hate speech and division to prevent atrocities akin to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
In a message delivered at a commemoration event in Abuja on Monday, Guterres warned that the seeds of genocide—intolerance, disinformation, and dehumanization—are once again spreading, fueled by digital technologies and political polarization.
“Today we mourn the one million children, women, and men slaughtered in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda,” Guterres said in remarks read by UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong. “This appalling chapter in human history was not a spontaneous frenzy of horrendous violence. It was intentional, premeditated and planned—including through hate speech that inflamed division and spread lies.”
Guterres called on nations to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law, adopt the Genocide Convention, and implement the Global Digital Compact to combat online hate and falsehoods. “We must act to stop disunity and discontent from mutating into violence,” he stressed.
The event, organized in partnership with the Government of Nigeria and the United Nations, marked the 31st anniversary of the genocide that claimed over a million lives, mostly Tutsi, along with moderate Hutu and others who opposed the killings.
Speaking at the ceremony, Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Christophe Bazivamo, emphasized the need for collective global resolve to fight genocide ideology and denial.
“Kwibuka”—a Kinyarwanda word meaning “to remember”—“is not just a ritual of memory,” Bazivamo said. “It is a national and global call to confront historical truths, uphold dignity, and fight genocide denial and revisionism.”
Reflecting on Rwanda’s post-genocide journey, Bazivamo highlighted the country’s commitment to unity and reconciliation, particularly through initiatives like the Gacaca courts and the “Ndi Umunyarwanda” campaign, which promotes a shared national identity beyond ethnic lines.
Despite notable progress, the envoy expressed concern over persistent regional insecurity and the resurgence of hate rhetoric similar to that which preceded the genocide. He cited ongoing threats from genocidal forces operating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and criticized the muted response from the international community.
“We are witnessing alarming hate speech, dehumanizing propaganda, and calls for extermination—similar to the language used before 1994 in Rwanda,” he said. “Rwanda warned the world once before. The cost of ignoring hate is too great to bear again.”
Bazivamo urged global leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the 1948 UN Genocide Convention and Security Council Resolution 2150, which obligate states to prevent genocide and prosecute its perpetrators.
He also condemned ongoing genocide denial and revisionism in some quarters, warning that such narratives threaten Rwanda’s healing process and the broader fight against impunity.
“‘Never Again’ must be more than a slogan—it must be a guiding principle,” Bazivamo declared. “Let us honour the victims and stand in solidarity with the survivors by ensuring that genocide ideology finds no place in our societies.”