Rwanda marks 30 years since genocide that horrified the world

Rwanda has begun 100 days of commemorations to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1994 genocide, in which 800,000 people, most of them from the Tutsi ethnic group, were massacred by Hutu militias.

Sunday marks the start of Kwibuka 30 (Remembrance), the sombre 30th commemoration of the genocide, which began on 7 April 1994.

At the Kigali Genocide Memorial, President Paul Kagame – whose Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel army helped to stop the massacres – will deliver a speech and light a flame of remembrance, with some foreign dignitaries in attendance.

They will lay wreaths on the memorial's mass graves, where more than 250,000 victims are believed to be buried.

This year's anniversary marks an important date for Rwanda, according to Phil Clark, professor of international politics at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies, who specialises in post-conflict issues.

"The country has had a lot of time to recover from the events," he told RFI English.

"It's a time of reflection, but also a time to look at how far Rwanda has come. The country has completed the justice process and is tackling inequality. We now have a real sense of what the country has done in response."

The high-profile commemorations are also a chance for the government to show its accomplishments, he noted.

"The ceremony is there to highlight its big success," Clark said, "including peace, stability and reconciliation, which includes even the Hutu population."

Darkest times

One of the darkest episodes since World War II, the mass slaughter was orchestrated by Hutu extremists against the Tutsi minority.

(with newswires)

Read more on RFI English

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