This Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres made an emotional call to strengthen global commitment to building a world that prioritizes justice and human dignity. The ceremony, held in the General Assembly, was a commemorative event in memory of the victims and survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, a period that Guterres described as a “chilling chapter in human history.”
The genocide, which took place between April 7 and July 4, 1994, resulted in the deaths of approximately one million people, mostly Tutsis, but also including Hutus and others who opposed the violence. Guterres emphasized that the atrocities were not an isolated event, but the result of premeditated crimes driven by a discourse of hate that fostered dehumanization and division among communities.
Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, also joined the call for reflection by pointing out the international community’s inaction during those fateful days. Despite warnings about the situation in Rwanda, the world remained passive and allowed the violence to unfold. Yang questioned whether we have truly learned the lessons of the past and whether the necessary measures are being taken to prevent similar tragedies from recurring in the future.
Germaine Tuyisenge Müller, a survivor and writer, shared her poignant experience of those days of horror, recalling how at the age of nine she witnessed the devastation of her family amid the violence. Her account brought to mind the memory of over a million lives lost and highlighted the resilience of survivors, who, almost three decades later, continue to fight for truth and recognition in the face of a rise in voices denying the genocide.
Guterres stressed that although Rwanda has made significant progress in its journey towards reconciliation and justice, the shadow of hate and violence still looms over all societies. In the current context of increasing polarization, he underscored the need to combat divisions and the use of digital technologies to spread misinformation and hate speech.
Guterres’ message could not be clearer: action is urgent. He urged the international community to act systematically to eradicate hate speech and prevent division from escalating into violence. In this regard, he called on all countries to engage in initiatives such as the Global Digital Pact, which aims to establish effective measures against misinformation and hatred, and to take responsibility for protecting their populations from potential atrocities in accordance with the Genocide Convention.
via: MiMub in Spanish
