Kigali, April 25, 2025 — Over 2,000 young Rwandans gathered at Intare Arena for this year’s edition of Igihango cy’Urungano, which closely translates to a solemn bond amongst peers, a national youth forum aimed at honoring Rwanda’s past, safeguarding its present, and shaping its future through unity and resilience.
The annual event, organized by Imbuto Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Arts, served as a platform for deep reflection and conversation on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Participants engaged in discussions about their responsibility to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again, by promoting Rwandan values of unity, togetherness, and rejecting any form of genocide ideology.
In her keynote address, First Lady Jeannette Kagame, founder of Imbuto Foundation, emphasized the importance of remembrance and vigilance.
“We remember the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, as always this gathering is connected with remembering the youth who were massacred,” she said. “To remember is not for today only, but always, since those we lost will forever have a place in our hearts. May they rest in peace, and Rwanda has once again become Rwanda.”
Mrs. Kagame reminded the youth that although they did not choose Rwanda’s painful history, they are now stewards of its future.“Our children, you didn’t choose our history, but you were born in Rwanda as Rwanda was born in you,” she said.
She further stressed that genocide is never spontaneous, but a deliberate and orchestrated plan by those in power. “There’s no good in genocide, nor in a sudden disease. Genocide is a planned massacre of a group of people, prepared and executed by a government. Denying genocide is the last stage of genocide. It doesn’t start with weapons; it starts with words that strip people of their humanity until a neighbor sees you as something to get rid of,” she explained.
Encouraging the youth, Mrs. Kagame said, “We trust your diligence and see you standing up in your different works to protect Rwanda.”
Supporting the First Lady’s remarks, Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana, Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), reiterated that the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was not accidental, but a carefully planned crime.
He cited documented evidence of organized groups and associations established years before the genocide, such as the “FROCOME Contre les Inkontanyi” created at the National University of Rwanda in Butare in March 1992. Led by university officials, including the vice-chancellor Jean Bikamas Bishumyumuremyi, these associations worked closely with government-backed militia groups like the Interahamwe.
Dr. Bizimana pointed out how youth associations across the country, often disguised with military terms to legitimize their activities, were instrumental in spreading genocide ideology. Groups like Amasasu (formed by Bagosora within the army), Battalion Huye in Kabarondo (Kayonza District), Battalion Ndiza in Muhanga and Ngororero, Abaparacommando in Rutsiro, Abajepe in Gicumbi, Jaguar, Abazulu in Kigali, and Turihose in Gisenyi, among others, were formed to mobilize the youth for violence.
Special mention was made of the Interamwete, an Interahamwe group uniquely composed of women and girls in Murambi and Gatsibo, tasked particularly with targeting women and children during the killings.
Dr. Bizimana warned that educated leaders and government officials of that time, who should have protected the youth, instead used them as tools for destruction.
Today’s gathering highlighted the crucial role the young generation must play in preserving the truth, fighting denial and distortion, and promoting unity and reconciliation. As Rwanda continues to heal, Igihango cy’Urungano stands as a testament to the nation’s commitment to ensuring a tragedy like the Genocide against the Tutsi never happens again.
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