On 25 April 2024, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) observed for the first time the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Through a ceremony marked by contemplation and reflection, this commemoration aimed to highlight the importance of the duty to remember, particularly in the context of United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, carried out in the presence of a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country, remains a dark reminder of the international community's failure to prevent and stop an avoidable genocide. This failure was the catalyst for the inclusion of the protection of civilians as a priority task in the mandates of peacekeeping missions, thus redefining the modalities of these interventions on a global scale.

The ceremony, which brought together nearly 300 guests from the Central African government, the diplomatic corps, United Nations staff in the Central African Republic and law students from the University of Bangui, began with the lighting of the flame of remembrance by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Central African Republic and Head of MINUSCA, Valentine Rugwabiza, accompanied by the Minister of State for Justice, Arnaud Djoubaye Abazene, the Head of Rwanda's diplomatic mission in the Central African Republic, Olivier Kayumba, and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in CAR, Moulay Abdelhadi Alaoui Azizi.

A minute of silence was observed in tribute to the victims, followed by the screening of a video message from the UN Secretary-General recorded at the Kwibuka30 ceremony held in New York and the video testimony of survivor Esther Mujawayo, delivered in April 2019 at the podium of the UN General Assembly Hall as part of Kwibuka25. Testimonies from MINUSCA staff who served in Rwanda in 1994 were shared, offering a unique perspective on their memory of 1994 and the aftermath of the Genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda.

These speeches highlighted the challenges faced by the peacekeepers of the Ghanaian contingent through the testimony of Andrew Awuah, then young officer deployed with a contingent to relieve the one that was in Rwanda during the 100 days of the Genocide. Among the officers to be rotated home was his own father who recounted him the harrowing stories of how they had to deal with situations of chaos and extreme violence. From 1995 onwards, the then Lieutenant, Andrew Awuah, served on the Gishari side, where he found a precarious security situation, with a traumatized population, requiring constant patrols and appropriate protection of civilians, demonstrating innovation in carrying out this duty despite the challenges.

Renner Onana, one of the first human rights officers deployed to Rwanda by the United Nations in 1995, shared a disturbing interaction with a prisoner in his seventies who had killed two children. The detainee questioned his own incarceration by comparing his act to that of a fellow inmate who had killed fiftyand, without remorse, questioning the justice and fairness of his situation. To Mr. Onana, this encounter highlighted the enormity of the challenges facing post-Genocide Justice.

Musical interludes and artistic performances by Central African slammer Cyrus Zemangui Kette, inspired by Jean Haztfeld'striptych "Tales from the Rwandan swamps", punctuated the ceremony, offering participants moments of reflection and contemplation. 

The final part of the ceremony saw the head of Rwanda's diplomatic mission in the Central African Republic, Mr Olivier Kayumba, share specific information on the number of victims of the genocide, its impact and the psychological consequences that survivors and their descendants are still suffering today. He recalled that despite the atrocities committed, Rwanda has shown remarkable resilience by embracing unity and responsibility. Mr Kayumba warned against the resurgence of the ideology of hatred and division, underlining the need to learn from the past to prevent such atrocities in the future, as President Paul Kagame emphasized in his speech marking the start of Kwibuka30 in Kigali, before concluding his speech by inviting each and everyone to remember they responsibility to protect.

Finally, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of MINUSCA expressed her gratitude to the participants, underlining that their presence in such numbers was the finest sign of solidarity with the survivors. She paid tribute to the victims and praised the resilience of the survivors and their contribution to the reconstruction of Rwanda. 

Recalling the importance of correctly naming historical events, she warned against denying the Genocide: "The planners and perpetrators of the Genocide attempted to erase all trace of the existence of their victims from the face of the Earth. It was not just a question of murdering them in the cruelest way possible, but also of destroying every material trace of their existence. By coming together today for this commemoration, we are defeating the purpose of genocide by honoring the lives and suffering of their victims and educating present and future generations about the mechanisms of genocidal ideology".

Highlighting the crucial role of UN peacekeeping missions, particularly in the protection of civilians, the Special Representative underlined the impact of the Tutsi Genocide in Rwanda in 1994 on the way these missions are conceived and conducted. She honored the courage of Captain Mbaye DIAGNE and Brigadier General Henry Kwami ANYIDOHO, underlining the importance of their example in guiding collective and individual commitment and responsibility in the protection of vulnerable populations.