African Union Official Urges Collaborative Action Against Hate Speech
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Kigali, Dec 10 (NationPress) African Union Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities Adama Dieng emphasized the need for prompt measures to address racism, negative ethnicity, xenophobia, and all manifestations of intolerance in the region.
During his address at the International Conference on Genocide Prevention held in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, Dieng reflected on the tragic events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed nearly a million lives. He pointed out that this horrific event did not initiate with machetes, but rather with the dehumanization of the Tutsi people. He noted that the turmoil in South Sudan began as a political dispute, characterized by the promotion and incitement of hate speech across ethnic divides, as reported by Xinhua.
Citing United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Dieng remarked that hate speech constitutes an assault on tolerance, inclusion, diversity, and the core principles of human rights.
"We must confront intolerance, treating every individual with dignity and respect. It is insufficient to merely discuss the prevention of genocide without taking decisive actions to avert it," he stated.
Dieng commended the Rwandan government for its remarkable transformation from devastation in the wake of the genocide to a flourishing nation where citizens coexist peacefully.
This conference was part of the 76th anniversary celebration of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Established in 1948, this pivotal United Nations document categorizes genocide as an international crime and outlines the accountability of individuals and states.
Jean-Damascene Bizimana, the Rwandan Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, underscored the shortcomings of the global community in halting the Rwandan genocide, despite the existence of the 1948 genocide convention.
He expressed gratitude towards all individuals and organizations dedicated to raising awareness about the genocide against the Tutsi and called for unified efforts to prevent genocide and counter its underlying ideology.
