04/08/2024

Former President Clinton, Other Leaders Join Rwandans 30 Years After the Genocide

The genocide resulted in the deaths of more than 800,000 people

Rwandans are commemorating 30 years since the genocide in which an estimated 800,000 people were killed by government-backed extremists, shattering the small East African country that continues to grapple with the horrific legacy of the massacres.

Rwanda has shown strong economic growth in the years since; however, scars remain and there are questions about whether genuine reconciliation has been achieved under the long rule of President Paul Kagame, whose rebel movement stopped the genocide and seized power.

Kagame, who is praised by many for bringing relative stability but vilified by others for his intolerance of dissent, led somber commemoration events Sunday in the capital, Kigali. Foreign visitors included a delegation led by former President Bill Clinton, the U.S. president during the genocide, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Please select this link to read the complete article from NPR.