“What They Are Doing Is Just Noise” – Paul Kagame on Those Seeking to Destabilize Rwanda

President Paul Kagame has reaffirmed Rwanda’s unwavering commitment to preventing the return of genocide, emphasizing national unity and resilience as the country marks the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Speaking at the launch of the mourning week and the 100 days of remembrance under #Kwibuka32, Kagame said Rwandans made a conscious decision after 1994 to rebuild their nation collectively, anchored on a firm pledge to never allow genocide ideology to take root again.

“I assure you, genocide cannot happen here again. It will never happen,” Kagame declared, underscoring confidence in the vigilance and unity of Rwandans across generations. He dismissed what he described as external “noise” from groups meeting abroad, including in Kinshasa, saying such efforts pose no real threat to Rwanda’s stability.

The President stressed that every Rwandan, both young and old, understands and shares the responsibility of safeguarding the country’s future.

Kagame also addressed ongoing attempts to distort Rwanda’s history, noting that the country has repeatedly faced critics and revisionists. However, he emphasized that Rwanda’s strength lies in its ability to seek truth and speak out against misinformation.

“Our enduring strength is in using our minds to find the truth and our voices to call out what is wrong,” he said.

Reflecting on post-genocide security challenges, Kagame recalled how remnants of the defeated genocidal regime, including soldiers and Interahamwe militia, fled into what was then Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), taking millions of civilians with them. He noted that these elements later reorganized into the armed group known as the FDLR, which carried out cross-border attacks that claimed thousands of Rwandan lives.

He highlighted the period of insurgency in the late 1990s, often referred to as the “Abacengezi” era, and praised the cooperation between Rwanda’s security forces and local communities in restoring stability, particularly along the western border.

Since then, Kagame said Rwanda has maintained robust defense measures to ensure national security and prevent any recurrence of such attacks.

“As a country, we remain committed to safeguarding our borders and ensuring that such threats never arise again,” he said.