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UN PhotoUNMISS / RWANDA REMEMBERANCE DAY
STORY: UNMISS / RWANDA REMEMBRANCE DAY
TRT: 03:04
SOURCE: UNMISS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 07 APRIL 2026, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Various shots, Rwandan Peacekeepers and Rwandan community matching
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Graham Maitland, Ad Interim Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Political, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“The lessons of Rwanda remain profoundly relevant today. We commend the Rwandan community and the Rwandan contingent serving with UNMISS to organize this commemoration and ensure that the memory of the victims is being preserved and that the message of ‘Never again’ remains alive and meaningful.”
3. Various shots, delegate lighting the torch of peace
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Joseph Rutabana, Ambassador to South Sudan, Rwanda:
“At that defining moment, Rwanda faced a fundamental choice. To pursue revenge or to choose a different path. Our leaders, guided by the resilience of our people and lessons of history, chose unity, reconciliation, and nation building.”
5. Various shots, RDF holding candles
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jimmy Gama, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA&IC), South Sudan:
“South Sudan can learn, through the determination of the Rwandese, how to build a stronger nation and progress guided by peace, unity and reconciliation.”
7. Med shot, Rwandan national holding candle
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Graham Maitland, Ad Interim Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Political, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“Let us reflect not only on the past but also on our role in shaping a more peaceful and just future. Let us renew our commitment and stand against hate to uphold human dignity and to act individually and collectively whenever and wherever warning signs emerge.”
9. Various shots, delegates standing
Rwandan peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and members of the Rwandan community in South Sudan came together in a shared commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Marking the beginning of the annual 100 days of remembrance, the commemoration also served as reminder of the relevance of this year’s theme – ‘Remember, Unite and Renew’.
SOUNDBITE (English) Graham Maitland, Ad Interim Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Political, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“The lessons of Rwanda remain profoundly relevant today. We commend the Rwandan community and the Rwandan contingent serving with UNMISS to organize this commemoration and ensure that the memory of the victims is being preserved and that the message of ‘Never again’ remains alive and meaningful.”
Participants reflected on the atrocities that resulted in the killing of more than a million people in just a few weeks with many others forced to flee into exile.
SOUNDBITE (English) Joseph Rutabana, Ambassador to South Sudan, Rwanda:
“At that defining moment, Rwanda faced a fundamental choice. To pursue revenge or to choose a different path. Our leaders, guided by the resilience of our people and lessons of history, chose unity, reconciliation, and nation building.”
The event marked an important milestone for Rwanda but also for South Sudan which is struggling with rising tensions, division, and conflict. will, inclusive governance, and homegrown solutions rooted in shared traditions.
SOUNDBITE (English) Jimmy Gama, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA&IC), South Sudan:
“South Sudan can learn, through the determination of the Rwandese, how to build a stronger nation and progress guided by peace, unity and reconciliation.”
In 1994, following international intervention, the Government of National Unity was formed, and Rwanda slowly commenced its journey from conflict to national reconciliation and healing. Today, the country’s history serves testimony to how powerful a shared vision can be in rebuilding a nation.
SOUNDBITE (English) Graham Maitland, Ad Interim Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Political, United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS):
“Let us reflect not only on the past but also on our role in shaping a more peaceful and just future. Let us renew our commitment and stand against hate to uphold human dignity and to act individually and collectively whenever and wherever warning signs emerge.”
The focus in terms of lessons learned was on how to foster community resilience and trust in a nation that has lost its way.
