In her address, delivered during the official Kwibuka31 event for the Rwandan community in Liège on April 12, Ikirizaboro asserted that remembrance should never be contingent on international tensions or fluctuating political interests.

“The duty of remembrance must never depend on geopolitical considerations... The memory of the victims cannot be adjusted for political convenience. It demands consistency, truth, and courage,” Ikirizaboro declared, speaking to mourners and survivors who assembled despite the city’s leaders absence.

“Can inaction or silence be justified, even under so-called ‘geopolitical’ pretexts? No. Inaction, even from afar, normalizes evil. And forgetting kills a second time,” she added with conviction.

Ikirizaboro described the withdrawal as more than just a refusal, labeling it an act that “reopens our wounds and awakens our old demons.” Nevertheless, she affirmed the unwavering resolve of the Rwandan community in Liège to honor the memory of the over one million lives lost.

“It is together, and only together, that we will continue to honor the memory of the victims and uphold the values of peace, justice, and human rights,” she concluded with determination.

Michael Bisschops, president of Les Territoires de la Mémoire, an organization which works with URGT to organize commemoration events, also challenged the consequences of silence and political disengagement in the face of historical responsibility.

Speaking on behalf of the organization, Bisschops reflected on the decision by city officials in Liège to abstain from the commemoration, characterizing it not as a logistical matter but as a profound moral failing.

“Not commemorating is to abandon—again—those who were massacred in silence. It is to let their cries fade, as if their lives never mattered,” he declared somberly.

Referencing Primo Levi’s stark warning—“what happened could happen again”—Bisschops urged participants to reject indifference cloaked in neutrality.

“Your silence—your absence here today—is also a political message. A message we hear. A message we reject,” Bisschops continued, directly addressing the city’s withdrawal, which was attributed to “geopolitical issues” in the Great Lakes region.

“Liège should not have stepped away. Liège should have remained faithful to its history and to the values it stands for. To forget, to retreat, is a grave mistake at a time when politics of hatred and division are intensifying across the world,” he added with concern.

The commemoration week concluded on Sunday, April 13, coinciding with the remembrance of politicians assassinated for their opposition to the genocide plans and their execution.

However, the spirit of remembrance and commemorative activities will continue for 100 days, marking each day of the horrific period during which over one million Tutsi were brutally murdered.

The President of the Association of Genocide Survivors in Belgium (URGT ASBL), Anne-Marie Ikirizaboro has criticized the city of Liège’s decision to withdraw from the 31st commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi

Michael Bisschops, President of Les Territoires de la Mémoire, an organization that collaborates with URGT to organize commemoration events, also addressed the consequences of silence and political disengagement in the face of historical responsibility.

Kamuzinzi Richard facilitated discussions during the commemoration event

Félicite Lyamukuru shared testimonies of how she survived the Genocide against the Tutsi

Jean Marie Vianney Rurangwa, who directed the theatre focusing on the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

Marie Émilie Cahay performed a commemoration song

Innocent Mugwaneza, also performed commemoration songs.

The actors of the play "Essuie tes larmes et tiens-toi debout" (Wipe Your Tears and Stand Tall), written by Rurangwa Jean Marie Vianney.

The artist Nyiratunga Alphonsine performs in the play “Essuie tes larmes et tiens-toi debout” written by Rurangwa JMV.

Lawyer Karingozi acted in “Essuie tes larmes et tiens-toi debout” theatre.

Photos from the commemoration event held at the Memorial in Liège.

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