Zambia has reaffirmed its commitment to consolidate the relations with Rwanda in an efforts to address the needs and aspirations of the people of the two countries.
And Minister of Justice Given Lubinda said Zambia is also committed to working with Rwanda and the international community to prevent and combat genocide ideologies, mass atrocities and war crimes on the African continent and throughout the world.
Mr. Lubinda noted that the international community has a moral obligation to prevent heinous acts from happening as well as protect populations from any kind of crime including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Minister was speaking during the 24th commemoration of the Rwanda genocide against Tutsi held at the Rwanda High Commission in Lusaka today.
The Minister noted that abuse of the tools of mass communication and promotion of hate speech should be avoided at all cost in order to prevent people from rising against each other.
He noted that after 24 years has past, the continent has seen how Rwanda, the land of thousand hills, have emerged from the horrific past and made progress in development and reconciliation.
Mr. Lubinda noted that Rwanda’s socio-economic transformation and development has continued to inspire many people and is a source of pride for the African continent.
And Rwanda High Commissioner to Zambia, Monique Mukaruliza said her country under President Paul Kagame, is peaceful and on a well-defined mission of striving for success.
Ms. Mukaruliza said Rwanda is united around a common vision of building a new, resilient and more independent country.
The commemoration which was held under the theme, “remember-unite-renew or Kwibuka in Kinyarwanda” was attended by the clergy, some diplomats accredited to Zambia and Rwandan nationals who reside in Zambia.
Rwanda, a country with a painful past and a pulsating future; one whose story is yet to be told.
Reading about nation-building is something I have been doing lately because of some very ugly language I have heard in Zambia despite the “one Zambia one nation motto”. The UNIP-laid nation-building infrastructure is decayed and in need of repair and was never good anyway. But this is not recognised. Show me , for example, one district commissioner from Lusaka, Southern, Central, Western, N-W and Copperbelt provinces serving in Eastern, Luapula , Northern and Muchinga provinces? But the other way round, no problem. Is this a coincidence or it is by design? Gillian Tett has argued that to really understand how a society functions, do not just look at what everyone likes to talk about, the social noises. But look at the social silences as well.