April 06, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER

Prime Minister Paul Martin today issued the following statement in commemoration of the beginning of the 1994 Rwanda genocide:

“April 7 marks one of the most profoundly tragic days of our time. It was on this day, 10 years ago, that the horrors of genocide were unleashed in Rwanda. Approximately 800,000 people were slaughtered over the ensuing three months.

The Government of Canada has accordingly declared April 7 as a Day of Remembrance for the victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide. On February 24, the House of Commons adopted unanimously a motion that encourages all Canadians to take appropriate steps to commemorate the genocide and reflect upon its lessons.

This sorrowful anniversary provides an important opportunity to reflect on how and why the genocide occurred, and on the lessons to be learned, so that we can reform the international system in order to prevent such mass atrocities in the future. It was toward this end that the Governments of Canada and Rwanda co-hosted, on March 26, a memorial conference at the United Nations in New York.

The UN General Assembly has joined Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Government of Rwanda in asking that a minute of silence be observed throughout the world on April 7. I urge all Canadians, at noon local time tomorrow, to join me in this solemn minute of commemoration out of respect for the genocide's victims, and in
solidarity with its survivors.”

A Canadian delegation led by Jim Wall, Ambassador to Rwanda, will pay respects at official commemorative events taking place in Kigali today and tomorrow. Canadian Romeo Dallaire, who commanded the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Rwanda 10 years ago, will also be in Kigali for the commemoration of the genocide.