Rwandan media practitioners on Saturday evening paid tribute to more than 60 journalists who were killed during the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, as the country marks the 31st anniversary of the tragedy.
The memorial event, held at the premises of the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) in the capital Kigali, brought together dozens of journalists from various media outlets, social media influencers, families of slain journalists, and officials from government institutions, including representatives from the security forces.
Speaking at the gathering, Cleophas Barore, director general of RBA, emphasized that the journalists who were killed during the genocide were targeted simply because of their identity.
“The journalism they practiced did not go against professional principles. And even if it had, someone who violates professional standards is not supposed to be killed – they are warned. If they persist, they are punished according to the law, which does not include the death penalty,” he said.
Rwandan Senator Emmanuel Havugimana delivered a talk reflecting on the history of the genocide and the critical role the media played in fuelling or combating violence. He stressed that the media holds great power in either educating or misleading the public, urging media owners to remain vigilant and ensure their content fosters national unity.
Also speaking at the event, Scovia Mutesi, chairperson of the Rwanda Media Commission, underscored the media’s critical role in providing accurate information and combating misinformation, calling on journalists to uphold professional ethics, particularly in countering genocide denial and revisionism.
Rwanda began a week of national commemoration on Monday to mark 31 years since the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, during which an estimated one million people – mostly Tutsis and some moderate Hutus — were killed by Hutu extremists in just 100 days. (Xinhua)
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