On January 8th, His Majesty Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein, King of Jordan, visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial and paid respects to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
After laying a wreath at the burial place where 250,000 victims killed during the genocide are laid to rest, the King observed a moment of silence in memory of the innocents slain.
Accompanied by Vincent Biruta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dr Jean Damascene Bizimana, the Minister of National Unity & Civic Engagement, King Abdullah and his delegation were led through the different parts of the museum portraying the history of the genocide, from its planning to its execution and consequences. His Majesty was also shown the progress that Rwanda has made in rebuilding through unity and reconciliation.
“This powerful memorial reminds us that behind every individual killed was a world unto itself, a family that lost a loved one, a mother, a father, a child, a dream extinguished, a potential taken too soon,” King Abdullah commented at the conclusion of his visit. “This Memorial teaches us that we cannot write off any conflict as hopelessly irreparable. It shows us how respect, justice and compassion can lead to a better future. And it teaches the world that memory matters, that we must first acknowledge the brutality before we could work towards peace, that complacency can be tantamount to collusion; that we must hold on to our humanity in order to step back from the abyss.”
In the memorial guestbook, His Majesty King Abdullah II wrote: “The Kigali Genocide Memorial commemorates a painful part of Rwanda’s history and a lesson to humanity. It is a testament to this nation’s dedication to national reconciliation. The stories shared here hold lessons to the whole world about overcoming great tragedies and working towards Unity, Peace and Resilience.”
