Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame and his wife led 37 visiting leaders at a wreath-laying ceremony at a genocide memorial in the capital, Kigali, that contains the remains of some 250,000 people.

Kagame affirmed that Rwanda would never tolerate conditions that could lead to such atrocities again, emphasizing that the nation’s politics are no longer based on ethnicity or religion. He declared, “Our people will never be left for dead again.”

“Genocide is populism in its pure form because the causes are political, the remedies must be as well. For that reason, our politics are not organized on the basis of ethnicity or religion and never will be again,” Kagame said at a separate ceremony at a Kigali sports arena.

Survivors shared their stories, highlighting resilience amid tragedy. Kagame, who has been in power since 2000, noted Rwanda’s progress since the genocide, attributing it to collective efforts to rebuild the nation.

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which was set up in Tanzania in late 1994 to try the masterminds of the genocide, closed in 2015 after convicting 61 suspects.

More prominent suspects have since been caught after decades on the run, and Rwanda's own internal justice system has handled another nearly 2 million cases.

“We survivors are strong. We will build the country together,” Marie Louise Ayinkamiye, who was 11 during the genocide, told the audience at the arena.

Despite international acclaim for fostering peace and economic development, Kagame faces criticism for what human rights groups say is the suppression of political opposition and the muzzling of independent media, an accusation he and the government deny.

Rwanda’s involvement in neighboring conflicts has also raised concerns about regional security.

In recognition of the genocide’s significance, UNESCO designated four memorial sites as World Heritage sites. The commemorations serve as a reminder of the atrocities committed and the ongoing efforts to heal and prevent such horrors from happening again.