Culture

Rwanda commemorates 30 years anniversary of genocide

Published

9 months ago

April 7, 2024

Rwanda on Sunday, April 7, commemorated the 30 years anniversary of the genocide with solemn tributes to the victims and a resolve that the country must never experience such devastating episode again.

The killing spree in the tiny eastern African country lasted 100 days from April to July 1994 before the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel militia led by incumbent President Paul Kagame took the capital Kigali. It claimed the lives of an estimated 800,000 people, largely from the Tutsi ethnic group and moderate Hutus, in what has been described as one of the bloodiest massacres of the 20th century.

The genocide was triggered by the assassination of Hutu President Juvenal Habyarimana on the night of April 6, when his plane was shot down over Kigali, which triggered the rampage by the Hutu extremists led military and the Interahamwe militia made up largely of Hutus.

The genocide victims were shot, beaten or hacked to death in killings fuelled by vicious anti-Tutsi propaganda broadcast on TV and radio, with at least 250,000 women raped and sexually assaulted, according to UN figures.

But since the end of the genocide and the assumption of office by Kagame, Rwanda has found its footing, becoming one of the fastest developing countries in Africa.

In keeping with tradition, the ceremonies on April 7, the commemoration began with President Kagame lighting a remembrance flame at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250,000 victims are believed to be buried.

Local media reports that as an army band “played mournful melodies, Kagame placed wreaths on the mass graves, flanked by foreign dignitaries including several African heads of state and former US president Bill Clinton, who had called the genocide the biggest failure of his administration.”

“As part of the weeklong activities, President Paul Kagame will give a speech at a 10,000-seat arena in the capital, where Rwandans will later hold a candlelight vigil for those killed in the slaughter.

“The week of national mourning begins on Sunday and the lineup of events mark the start of a week of national mourning, with Rwanda effectively coming to a standstill and national flags flown at half-mast.

“Music will not be allowed in public places or on the radio, while sports events and movies are banned from TV broadcasts, unless connected to what has been dubbed Kwibuka (Remembrance) 30”.

As part of the healing process instituted by the Kagame administration, Rwandan ID cards do not mention whether a person is Hutu or Tutsi, while secondary school students learn about the genocide as part of a tightly controlled curriculum.

The country is home to over 200 memorials to the genocide, four of which were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list last year.

The memorials house skulls, bone fragments, torn clothing and images of piled up corpses as well as the guns, machetes and other weapons used to carry out the slaughter and each year, new mass graves are uncovered around the country.

Related Topics:Anniversary Featured Genocide Hutus Paul Kagame Rwanda Tutsis

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Culture

Ghana’s Supreme Court dismisses suit challenging anti-LGBT bill

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghana’s Supreme Court has dismissed two separate suits challenging the legality of one of the proposed anti-LGBT legislations awaiting assent into law by the president.

The separate suits were filed by two legal practitioners, Amanda Odoi and Richard Sky, challenging the bill, seeking to declare it illegal and prevent the president from signing it.

The two cases had challenged the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

But in a ruling on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously decided to dismiss the legal challenges to the new anti-LGBT legislation that has been criticised by rights groups.

The controversial bill was passed earlier this year by Ghanaian lawmakers with three years imprisonment for people identifying as LGBT and five years for forming or funding LGBT groups.

While dismissing the cases, presiding judge, Justice Avril Lovelace-Johnson, who delivered the ruling on behalf of the seven-member panel, said the cases were premature.

“Until there’s presidential assent, there is no act, the two cases were “unanimously dismissed,” she said.

The ruling is the latest blow to the LGBTQ community in Ghana and paves the way for the president to sign into law what many say is one of Africa’s most restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, whose term in office ends on 7 January, had delayed signing it pending the outcome of the Supreme Court challenge but the judges said the case could not be reviewed until it had been signed it into law.

It expected that incoming president, John Mahama, will sign the bill into law as he had always expressed his support for the bill during his electioneering campaigns.

Culture

UNESCO lists Ghana’s Kente cloth as cultural heritage

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The iconic Ghanaian Kente, a piece of clothing, has been recognized as a cultural heritage on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The global recognition, according to the UN body, is coming under the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage highlights the cultural and historical significance of the vibrant, handwoven textile.

In a citation on its website, UNESCO describes the Kente cloth as “originating from Ghana’s Asante and Ewe communities and renowned worldwide for its bold colors, intricate patterns, and deep symbolic meanings, embodying the creativity and identity of the Ghanaian people.”

Ghana’s Tourism Minister, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, described the recognition as a testament to Ghana’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage.

“This achievement places Ghana at the forefront of global efforts to safeguard and celebrate cultural traditions,” he noted.

In a statement acknowledging the recognition, Mercer said the “Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, UNESCO, and the artisans, cultural institutions, and traditional authorities who contributed to this milestone.”

“Special acknowledgement is given to the Bonwire and Agotime communities for their enduring role as custodians of the craft.

“As Ghana celebrates this historic moment, MoTAC reaffirms its dedication to promoting and preserving the nation’s rich cultural legacy.”