KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda’s First Lady, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, has called on the country’s youth to remain vigilant against individuals who seek to misrepresent and discredit Rwanda for personal gain, urging them instead to embrace unity, protect the nation’s achievements, and play an active role in shaping its future.
She delivered the message on May 30, 2026, during the Igihango cy’Urungano Youth Forum, a national gathering that brought together young people from across Rwanda to reflect on the country’s history, identity, and future.
Addressing participants, Mrs. Kagame reminded them that the forum also served as an opportunity to honor and remember the young men and women who lost their lives during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“Taking time for gatherings like this is important because changing harmful ideas and attitudes that people were taught over many years also requires time and sustained effort,” she said.
The First Lady emphasized that Rwanda’s tragic history cannot be separated from the broader legacy of colonialism in Africa. She explained that colonial systems often relied on division as a means of governance, contributing to the erosion of a shared national identity and encouraging people to define themselves through ethnic distinctions.
Encouraging young people to think critically about the future, she challenged them not only to ask how society arrived at such divisions but also how it can move beyond them.
“I often hear young people ask, ‘How did we get here?’ I would like you to also ask yourselves, ‘How do we move beyond this?’ How can those who still see themselves through the lens of ethnicity leave behind hatred and embrace humanity? What protection can help ensure that young people like you do not fall victim to destructive ideologies?” she asked.
Mrs. Kagame reflected on Rwanda’s recovery following the Genocide against the Tutsi, noting that those who fought to stop the genocide chose reconciliation over revenge because they were committed to building a nation where every Rwandan belongs.
She recalled that many once believed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) would never succeed in governing the country and assumed they would eventually regain power. However, she noted that repeated efforts to destabilize Rwanda have failed.
“For many people, it seemed impossible that the RPF could take and lead the country. That is why they believed it would be easy to attack Rwanda again. They tried many times, but they failed,” she said.
The First Lady also pointed to ongoing threats posed by individuals and groups that continue to promote genocide ideology. She noted that some of those responsible for the genocide later formed the FDLR armed group and have continued to express ambitions of destabilizing Rwanda.
While acknowledging that some of their activities have occasionally affected civilians, she emphasized Rwanda’s determination to safeguard its security and protect its citizens.
Mrs. Kagame further warned that divisive ideologies can sometimes be passed from one generation to another, urging young people to reject such teachings and place the interests of the nation above all forms of division.
“Love for our families should never prevent us from prioritizing what benefits Rwanda, where we all belong as one larger family,” she said. “Do you understand the spirit of the Rwandans who lived in exile, passed their love of Rwanda to their children, and returned to a country they had never seen, willing even to sacrifice their lives for it?”
She urged youth to appreciate the progress Rwanda has achieved and to resist narratives aimed at undermining those accomplishments.
“You have experienced a beautiful Rwanda that many of them never knew. How can someone convince you that all these achievements are false, especially when those claims come from individuals who have not even been here recently and who have made it their mission to attack our country and its leaders?” she asked.
Highlighting the sacrifices made by young people during Rwanda’s liberation struggle, Mrs. Kagame said today’s generation has a responsibility to preserve and strengthen the peace, stability, development, and opportunities that have been built over the past three decades.
“You have a strong foundation upon which to build a future that ensures stability for Rwanda and its people,” she said. “Such progress cannot coexist with division and destructive ideologies.”
She encouraged young people to become ambassadors of Rwanda’s achievements and to challenge narratives that focus solely on ethnicity, division, and attacks against national institutions.
“If we still see some people influenced by genocide ideology or ethnic divisions, it shows that we have not yet fully embraced a common understanding that being Rwandan should be the guiding principle of our existence. I urge you to make wise choices in your lives,” she said.
The First Lady also called on youth to deepen their understanding of Rwanda’s history by visiting genocide memorials and engaging in educational activities that strengthen historical awareness.
“Rwanda has always had people who defended it. Today, you are the guardians who will understand Rwanda of today and tomorrow,” she said. “Always remember that Rwanda is the only homeland we have, and there is no place better than one’s own home.”
During the forum, Mrs. Kagame also congratulated filmmaker Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo, whose film Ben’Imana recently earned international recognition and awards in France.
Other speakers echoed the First Lady’s message on the importance of historical knowledge, unity, and civic responsibility.
Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement Dr. Jean-Damascène Bizimana explained that the Genocide against the Tutsi was the result of a carefully planned ideology aimed at dehumanizing and exterminating an entire population.
“Habanza buri gihe kubaka imitekerereze n’imyumvire yumvisha itsinda ry’abantu bamwe ko irindi tsinda ribangamiye imibereho yabo,” he said, explaining that genocide ideology begins by convincing one group that another represents a threat.
Dr. Bizimana encouraged youth to understand the difference between governments that promoted and carried out genocide and the government that stopped it and rebuilt the country around a shared Rwandan identity.
“Learn the difference between those past governments and the government we have today, which stopped genocide and built a country based on Rwandan identity rather than ethnic divisions,” he said.
Participants also heard from Lt. Col. Dr. Gaspard Harerimana, Director of Technology at the Ministry of Defence and an Artificial Intelligence specialist, who shared his personal experience as a genocide survivor.
He said surviving the genocide inspired his commitment to serving Rwanda through the military.
“The reason I made a commitment to the RPA was because of how I survived,” he said. “I became a soldier in my heart in 1994, but because I was only 13 years old, I had to wait until I was old enough to officially join in 2002.”
Dr. Harerimana described the Rwanda Defence Force as more than a profession, saying it became a family and a symbol of national service.
He encouraged young people to stand firmly against genocide ideology, embrace positive values, and uphold discipline and responsibility.
“The remaining responsibility belongs to a disciplined and responsible youth,” he said. “Without discipline, we risk destroying the achievements we have made or allowing others to destroy them.”
Minister of Youth and Arts Development Dr. Utumatwishima Jean Nepo Abdallah also addressed the gathering, noting that while divisive ideologies were promoted during the decades preceding the genocide, Rwanda has spent the last 32 years building unity and national cohesion.
He urged young people to defend historical truth and reject attempts to distort Rwanda’s history.
The forum concluded with a renewed call for Rwanda’s youth to embrace their role as custodians of national unity, defenders of truth, and builders of a peaceful and prosperous future for generations to come.
