Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michel, on Monday, paid tribute to
10 Belgian peacekeepers killed at the start of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda at Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial in Kigali.
Michel said at an event that was also attended by Rwandan Prime Minister, Edouard Ngirente and other Rwandan and Belgian Government officials that “their memory is still fresh in our minds and hearts.
“Before the end of April, the Belgian parliament will come up with a proposal that will criminalise the denial of the genocide committed against the Tutsis in Rwanda.”
According to him, denial and gross minimisation of crimes against humanity committed in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide must be dealt with harshly.
Ngirente, the Rwandan prime minister, said “Belgium had been on the side of Rwanda in this long road of reconstruction.”
The Belgian peacekeepers, part of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda, were killed on April 7, 1994, shortly after the start of the genocide.
They were deployed to guard then Prime Minister, Agathe Uwilingimana, who was also killed on the same day.
The Rwandan Government on Sunday kicked off events to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against Tutsi, raising the curtain of a three-month remembrance period.
The genocide claimed the lives of over one million people, mainly ethnic Tutsis.
The annual commemoration is held from April 7 to July 4 in line with the period of the genocide.
