By Adesina Wahab

The Rwandan Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Christophe Bazivamo, and the Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Prof. Ademola Tayo, have said incidents like the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda must not be allowed to occur anywhere in the world.

They have therefore charged political and community leaders to strive and promote peaceful co-existence among diverse groups in their communities and countries.

They spoke at an occasion held at Babcock University, Ilisan Remo to commemorate the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

“It is both a solemn honour and a profound responsibility to stand before you today as we gather to commemorate Kwibuka31—the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. I am deeply grateful to the leadership and students of Babcock University for opening your hearts and your campus to this important outreach.

“Kwibuka, a Kinyarwanda word meaning “to remember”, is more than a commemoration. It is a time for reflection, a call for truth, and an invitation to responsibility. We remember the lives lost. We honour the courage of the survivors. And we renew our pledge—never again. For the people of Rwanda, the 7th of April marks the beginning of a season of mourning. But this is not a mourning that incapacitates; rather, it is one that ignites purpose and spurs action—so that no nation, no people, ever again endure the horrors of genocide,” Bazivamo said.

He added, “It is crucial to understand that the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi did not erupt spontaneously. It was the tragic culmination of decades of ethnically motivated discrimination, nurtured over time by colonial systems and later sustained by post-independence regimes. Under colonial rule, our colonizer, Belgium, policies of social engineering introduced racial classifications and imposed hierarchies that systematically fractured Rwandan society.

“Today, we are also witnessing there high level politicians alarming hate speeches, dehumanizing propaganda, and calls for extermination—similar to the language used before 1994 in Rwanda. Thousands have been displaced, and yet, the international response remains dangerously muted.

“We must not forget that Rwanda warned the world once before. The cost of ignoring hate is too great to bear again. This is not just Rwanda’s fight; it demands the urgent and concerted attention of the entire international community.”

Prof. Tayo, while paying tributes to the victims of the genocide, noted, “We recognize that our diversity is strength, not a weakness. We acknowledge that the differences that once fueled hatred and division can be bridged through understanding, empathy, and compassion.

“Rwanda has made steady progress ever since, towards unity and economic transformation. As we come together to mark this occasion, I urge us all to focus on what unites us rather than what separates us. Let us reject the forces of division that seek to tear us apart based on racial, ethnic, gender, or other differences. We must strive for a world where such atrocities never happen again: a world where humanity is valued above all else; a world where we can live in peace, harmony, and mutual respect.”

The event had as theme, “Remember, unite, renew,” and there was a candle light procession in memory of the victims, while

trees were planted at the front of the Senate Building of the university by the Rwandan envoy, the management of the university and Rwandan students in BU among others.