Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against
the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations

Photo of a child in a dark auditorium with his hands shielding his eyes from a beam of light. Photo of a child in a dark auditorium with his hands shielding his eyes from a beam of light.

7 April marks the start of the 1994 genocide

Every year, on or around that date, the United Nations organizes commemorative events at its Headquarters and at UN offices around the world.

International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda

2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, one of the darkest chapters in human history. More than one million people – overwhelmingly Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide – were systematically killed in less than three months. On this Day, we honour those who were murdered and reflect on the suffering of those who survived.

Miracle in Rwanda: Play about a Genocide Survivor

“Miracle in Rwanda” is a play based on the life of New York Times Bestselling author of “Left to Tell”, Immaculée Ilibagiza. It chronicles the dramatic events Immaculée experienced during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The play was performed at the United Nations to commemorate the anniversary of the genocide.

Combating violence

"We must counter hate speech if we want to prevent future genocides," said Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.

In this interview, Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu spoke to Africa Renewal’s Zipporah Musau on progress made in protecting communities and some of the red flags to look out for as a precursor to genocide.

Alice Nderitu addressing an event

© UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Remembering Genocide:The Mothers of Srebrenica

Amid the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a UN safe area was established in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1993. But in July 1995, the town was overrun by Bosnian-Serb forces and over 8,000 Bosniak boys and men were killed within a week. The Srebrenica genocide is considered the largest atrocity in Europe since World War II.


Backgrounders

On justice and the reconciliation process; preventing genocide; the responsibility to protect; and on sexual violence used as a tool of war.

Survivor Testimonies

Tribunal
Archives

Judicial audio archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda providing valuable insight.

Tugire Ubumwe

Frames from the graphic novel for a young audience about the Genocide in Rwanda. Frames from the graphic novel for a young audience about the Genocide in Rwanda.

ONE UN Rwanda

Since the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, the United Nations has been a fundamental partner in the reconstruction of Rwanda.

The United Nations system in Rwanda consists of 22 UN agencies, programmes, and funds, both resident and non-resident.

Since 2008, the UN system in Rwanda has been delivering as one: ‘One UN’. This means: one leader – the UN Resident Coordinator; one budget; one programme – the five-year Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP II); and one voice. ‘One UN’ capitalizes on the strengths and comparative advantages of the different UN agencies in the UN system and calls for coordinated endeavors for achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to Transform Our World that were set out in Agenda 2030.

Between 2018-2023, the One UN Rwanda has budgeted around US $631 million to assist the country in its development.

ONE UN Rwanda >>
IOM aids Rwandan returnees from Tanzania.

IOM aids Rwandan returnees from Tanzania. © IOM.

Exhibits

Innocente Nyirahabimana

"I disowned my family to get a chance to survive and they all died. I was 12."

35 Children: Visual & Aural Narratives

In an effort to understand and define the underlying tone of the first post-genocide generation in Rwanda, children (ranging in age from 6 to 15) were asked to draw pictures that portrayed them engaging in an activity with someone they respect.

Jean-Marie Vianney Hitimana

Jean-Marie is one of 12 participants (including orphans, widows, rape and assault survivors, young students and a gacaca judge) who documented their day-to-day life, hopes, dreams and memories as part of the "Visions of Rwanda" photography project.

800,000

800,000 are the pages in 2500 books displayed in 100 crates: one page for each victim, one crate for each day of the genocide. The books were hand-bound through the collaboration of the "800,000" team, six high schools, and three groups of volunteers.