Declaration by President Prodi on the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda

Dear Colleagues,

Today, 7 April 2004, marks the 10th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda. It is being commemorated in Kigali and the Commission is represented at the ceremonies being held there.

I do not want to repeat facts that are well known to you. I just want to say that in those tragic events in Rwanda ten years ago, nearly a million people were brutally murdered, not for what they had done but for what they were. They just happened to belong to another ethnic group or held different ideas.

Coming after the Holocaust, this must strengthen us in our duty to remain vigilant and defend the fundamental values of human rights, tolerance, freedom and respect for and protection of minorities that are set out in our Charter of Fundamental Rights and will soon be enshrined in our Constitution and to fight against all forms of discrimination, racism and anti-Semitism.

On this sad anniversary, I want to stress the vital importance of our action to strengthen peace, combat poverty and foster the rule of law, because war, misery, poor governance and underdevelopment have created conditions that allowed racial hatred to turn into genocide. That is something we must not let happen again.

I call on you to join me in observing one minute of silence.

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• Commission to support reconciliation efforts in Rwanda (23/4/2004)
• EU Presidency declaration on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda (7/4/2004)