The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has honoured the lives of at least 1 million people who perished in the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda 32 years ago.

In his message as Rwanda marks the genocide anniversary on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the UN boss paid tribute to the survivors while encouraging the importance of learning from the past failures while protecting the living.

“We must learn from past failures & protect the living — by rejecting hatred, inflammatory rhetoric & incitement to violence,” Guterres stated.

Guterres has further recalled the incident that led to the loss of lives in Rwanda, with thousands of people left dead in just one hundred days.

“Thirty-two years ago, Rwanda endured one of the darkest chapters in human history. In just 100 days, more than a million people were murdered – primarily Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide. Entire families were brutally erased,” Guterres said

On the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, we mourn the victims and honour their stolen dignity. We pay tribute to the survivors, whose resilience shows the strength of the human spirit.

He further noted that the UN recalls, with humility and shame, the international community’s failure to heed warnings and take immediate lifesaving action adding that it’s not enough to remember the dead.

Instead, we must learn from past failures and protect the living by rejecting hatred, inflammatory rhetoric and incitement to violence; by investing in the social fabric to deepen community resilience; and by strengthening institutions that help prevent mass atrocities.

“I call on all countries to become parties to the Genocide Convention without delay – and to implement it fully.The United Nations stands with the people of Rwanda. And we stand with all those, everywhere, who refuse to surrender our future to fear, division, or silence,” he added.

“Let this day reaffirm our commitment to remember, to listen, and to act. With history as our guide, and the prevention of genocide as our goal,” UN said.

Genocide anniversary

His remarks come as Rwanda marks the 32^nd anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, one of the darkest chapters in human history.

In the aftermath of the genocide, more than one million people overwhelmingly Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide, were systematically killed in less than three months.

Every April 7, Rwanda honour those who were murdered and reflects on the suffering of those who survived.