07 April 2010 - The Rwandan flag was lowered today as UNAMID’s peacekeepers remembered the victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The ceremony included emotional testimony from one of the victims of the genocide, who had lost her sisters and brothers, as well as speeches by UNAMID Deputy Joint Special Representative (DJSR) Mohamed Yonis and Rwandan Battalion Contingent Commander Lt. Col Mutembe Frank.

“There is no better way of showing the world that, after the bitter lessons of the 1994 genocide, Rwanda is keen to help other countries avoid conflicts that lead to death and destruction. This is why you are in Darfur and your presence has contributed immensely to our efforts to bring peace to this region,” said DJSR Yonis.

The ceremony concluded with a minute of silence and the laying of wreaths by the DJSR and UNAMID Police Commissioner Micheal Fryer. A candlelight vigil took place in the evening.

In less than three months, the mass killing claimed an estimated 800,000 to one million lives.

Rwanda, among the largest of UNAMID’s troop contributing countries with 3,239 military personal, has lost six of peacekeepers to hostile fire since the inception of UNAMID in December 2007.