Rwanda commemorates today the 15th anniversary of the 1994 genocide that killed more than one million people.
The president of Rwanda, Paul Kigame, has started the ceremonies with the national anthem.
The ceremony takes place in Nyanza, a hill surrounding the Rwandan capital Kigali, where thousands of people seeking protection have been killed in 1994.
Al Jazeera reporter, Yvonne Ndege, said: “Many of them had come here to seek refuge and protection from a small UN mission that was based here. Of course, the UN eventually pulled out and at least 5,000 people met their deaths in a very brutal manner”.
In Italy the no profit organisation of Rwandans, Associazione “Bene Rwanda”, which in Kinyarwanda language means ‘sons of Rwanda’, will lead a march in Rome this afternoon by 4.30pm in piazza Farnese.
The president of the association ‘Bene Rwanda’, Françoise Kakindi, will open a debate at 6.30pm in Teatro Piccolo Eliseo. Witness of the genocides, actors and directors will be present. Among them: Yolande Mukagasana, Dario Fo, Lance Henson, Franca Rame.
Reached by phone by Africanews.it, the consul of Rwanda in Italy, Francesco Alicicco, stressed the importance of the fund raising activity ‘one dollar campaign‘ by the Rwandan diaspora in Italy which is reunited by last 21 March 2009 in an association in Milan.
lastampa.it, wallstreetitalia, panorama.it and apcom are the reactions in the online Italian media.
Other resources in English are: mediastorm.org, Voice of America, BBC
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