Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the 17th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda

Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations 
U.S. Mission to the United Nations 

New York, NY

April 7, 2011

 

On the 17^th anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, the United States shares in the boundless grief for those who died and extends our profound sympathy to the survivors and those who were robbed of mothers and fathers, siblings and children, neighbors and friends.

We keep faith with those who are writing a promising new chapter in Rwanda. We take pride in knowing that Rwanda today serves as one of the most committed contributors of United Nations peacekeepers, adding force and meaning to the words, “Never again.”

The United States, together with the international community, is determined to ensure that these words become real. Genocide is not unstoppable; atrocities are not inevitable; and we believe that the coming decades can be better than the last, more rooted in humane values and more committed to human rights. This is our duty to the survivors in Rwanda – and to all those who live today with the searing memories of what we must all aim to prevent.

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