Achi news desk-
On Sunday, April 7, members of Regina’s Rwandan community celebrated a somber jubilee.
The date is now an international day of remembrance for the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when close to a million lives were lost over 100 days due to ethnic and political conflict.
“We’re focusing more on the reason why it happened, which is just the heat between two tribes,” said Yves Ikoba, a member of Regina’s Rwandan community who helped organize the commemoration at Wellsprings Victory Church.
“So we just want to prevent this from happening, from anywhere in the world that could happen. So we spread awareness everywhere just to know that heat can build into something that is so tragic.”
Now, 30 years after the mass atrocity, the community has come together to remember. Some in attendance were well acquainted with the violent history, while others took the opportunity to learn about it for the first time.
Community member Josh Olson said he learned a lot during the day.
“Well, honestly, I don’t know much about the genocide and I feel like everyone should be educated about things that happened in the past, even if it’s not our country. It’s good to know,” he said.
“If you ever meet someone from there, who has a history there, and maybe they have a generational trauma and you can learn more about them if you know about their history and connect with them in that way,” Olson said.
Regina was one of many cities to recognize the date. Memorials were held across the country, proving that the effects of the massacre are still felt, even from a distance of more than 11,000 kilometers.
