Princess Lalla Asmaa commemorates Rwandan genocide

Princess Lalla Asmaa of Morocco has commemorated the Rwandan genocide.

The Princess visited the memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda in Kigali. She was welcomed by Alfonse Munyantwali, the director of the memorial.

At the memorial, Princess Lalla Asmaa laid a wreath and observed a minute of silence. She was joined by Dr Jean Damascène Bizimana, Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement. Over 250,000 victims are laid to rest at the burial site.

The Princess then toured the site and visited the exhibitions which tell the story of the genocide. She also visited an area dedicated to the memory of the children.

The memorial, inaugurated in 2004, also houses the Genocide Archive.

The Rwandan Genocide took place over about 100 days, starting on 7 April 1994, and over one million people were murdered. Rwanda usually begins 100 days of commemoration, known as Kwibuka, on 7 April each year.

Princess Lalla Asmaa is on a royal visit to Rwanda and opened a new Hearing Diagnostic and Rehabilitation Centre in Kigali. The new Hearing Diagnostic and Rehabilitation Centre is Rwanda’s first of its kind and part of the foundation’s fifth phase of the “United, We Hear Better” program. Rwanda has become the 23rd country to join the program, which is active across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. It is an extension of the national “Nasmaa” campaign beyond Morocco.