Rwanda’s ambassador to the U.S. Mathilde Mukantabana will travel to Longview Saturday for a ceremony to remember the country’s horrible genocide 21 years ago.
LeTourneau University business student Charity Mutesi, a native of Rwanda, organized a commemorative walk and ceremony to remember the slaughter that was inflicted on the Tutsi. Some 800,000 people were killed in 100 days.
Mutesi was a toddler when her family fled to Uganda. She wants college students to learn what happened and be more compassionate.
“During the genocide, people tried to call for help any way they could. Nobody tried to help. Nobody came to help. The little help we had, we still had to leave the country to save our lives. Seeing that and seeing the country become ashes when nobody was willing to help, our own people had to come liberate the country,” Mutesi said, who hopes to work on international women’s rights issues after graduation.
LeTourneau international students from Rwanda will lead the event, “Urumuri Rutazima,” flame of eternal peace.
It follows a similar commemoration in Rwanda when thousands of people participate in an annual walk to remember. The event begins at 3 p.m. Saturday at LeTourneau’s Speer Chapel, 2100 S. Mobberly Ave. in Longview.
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