Former United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General and Head of the Department of Political Affairs, UN Headquarters in New York, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, at the weekend, added his voice to the call for reforms and democratization of the Security Council.
Gambari made the call at a public lecture to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi of Rwanda held at Covenant University, Ota Ogun state.
The event was organised by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Nigeria, the Rwandan High Commission in Nigeria, and Covenant University.
Delivering his keynote lecture, Gambari noted that the reforms would prevent a genocide similar to that against the Tutsi, adding that it should include the use or misuse of veto power as well as the expansion of the Security Council’s membership in both permanent and non-permanent categories.
A statement by UNIC’s National Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun, said Gambari urged the UN to ensure that membership of its Security Council reflected today’s economic demographic and political realities, adding that Africa should be fully represented and taken into consideration.
“The genocide in Rwanda had the additional and perhaps unintended consequence of reawakening governments in Africa to an appreciation of their own Responsibility to Protect civilian populations beyond their territorial borders.
“Rwanda taught Africans not to rely purely on the goodwill of the larger international community to police and resolve conflicts on their continent. The need for Pax Africana, for Africa to develop its own resources and mechanisms to initiate effective and robust engagements to resolve the problems of the continent, was becoming increasingly apparent,” said Gambari.
In his speech to commemorate the Rwanda genocide, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, appealed to humans across the world to shun hatred, and discrimination and stand as one.
Guterres’ speech which was read by Soremekun, said: “On this solemn day of remembrance, let’s pledge to stand as one against all forms of hatred and discrimination. Let’s ensure that the acts that began on April 7 1994, are never forgotten- and never repeated. Anywhere.
“We will never forget the victims of this genocide. Nor will we ever forget the bravery and resilience of those who survived, whose courage and willingness to forgive remain a burst of light and hope amidst this dark chapter in human history.”
Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Christophe Bazivamo, in his remarks, said: “The path to lasting peace demands constant vigilance. As we renew, we restate our unbreakable pledge to fight intolerance, discrimination, ethnic hatred, hate speech, genocide revisionism, and denial in all their forms.”
“On this occasion of Kwibuka 30, let’s together ensure that the memory of the victims becomes a powerful force for good, inspiring future generations to choose peace over hate, unity over division, and hope over despair.”
According to him, this could be achieved in different ways including putting course lessons about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in schools to educate the young and the next generation on the need to fight hate ideologies and stand against any form of discrimination and divisionism.
He charged everyone to work together to build a world where such atrocities never happen again.
“Let us renew our commitment to the values of tolerance, compassion, and human dignity in our transformative journey, continuously building a better future for all,” he added.
The Vice Chancellor of Covenant University, Prof Abiodun Adebayo, acknowledged the pivotal role the UN had played in maintaining international peace and security, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable development in all conflicts leading to the devastating loss of civilian life, massive displacement, capital flights, destruction of infrastructure and economic institutions, violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws.
“Today’s reflection is critical because those who do not remember the past or mind history are predestined to repeat history. We remember, therefore, the heinous crime of inhumane treatment meted out not only to the Tutsi but the entire humanity that took place in Rwanda in 1994,” he said.
The Chancellor of the university, Bishop David Oyedepo, charged African leaders to be sensitive to injustice to ensure peace and stability in the region. He spoke, “It’s time to wake up and take responsibility.”
From left: The Chancellor of Covenant University, Bishop Dr, David Oyedepo; Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abiodun Adebayo; Rwandan High Commissioner, Amb. Christophe Bazivamo; Former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Prof Ibrahim Gambari; UNIC National Information Officer, Oluseyi Soremekun and Honorary Consul of Rwanda in Lagos, Dr Ernest Ebi at the Tutsi Genocide commemorative public lecture held weekend.
