Why Remember?

RWANDA begun a national week of mourning to mark the 15th anniversary of the nation's 1994 genocide. At a ceremony in Nyanza on Tuesday to mark the start of the commemoration, President Paul Kagame said that Rwanda's people were "abandoned in their time of need." More than 1,000,000 members of the Tutsi ethnic minority and political moderates from the Hutu majority were killed by the Hutu government.

Mr Kagame spoke to a crowd of 4,000 people, including survivors of the 100-day massacre, who had gathered at the site where thousands had been killed in the early days of the slaughter after Belgian peacekeepers left the country. "The people of Rwanda were abandoned in their time of need. Those people were here and appointed to protect the people of Rwanda," Mr Kagame said, referring to the peacekeepers.

British ex-prime minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie was among the foreign dignitaries attending the commemoration. The half-day ceremony brought back painful memories for many in the crowd, whose screams were clearly audible as the president delivered his speech. "We must remember, but life must go on. We must continue to build a better future," Mr Kagame said.

Many Rwandans, especially those who returned from exile and did not live through the genocide, see a bright future for their country. "When you look at the development so far, students are in the schools, hospitals are working, everything is now normal. The country is developing day and night," said Sam Rutegengwa, a Rwandan born in Uganda.

Rwanda's genocide began hours after a plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana was mysteriously shot down as it approached the capital Kigali on the evening of April 6 1994. The leader was returning from power-sharing talks with Tutsi-led rebels. The genocide ended after rebels led by Mr Kagame ousted the government which had orchestrated the slaughter.