International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General at the 2025 Commemorations — 31st Anniversary of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Today we mourn the one million children, women and men slaughtered in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. This appalling chapter in human history was not a spontaneous frenzy of horrendous violence. It was intentional, premeditated and planned -- including through hate speech that inflamed division, and spread lies and dehumanization. The overwhelming majority of victims were Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide. As we recall how these crimes came about, we must also reflect on resonance with our own times. These are days of division. The narrative of “us” versus “them” is ascendant, polarizing societies. Digital technologies are being weaponized to further inflame hate, stoke division, and spread lies. We must learn from the terrible history of the genocide in Rwanda, and...