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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release

Statement by the President on the 19th Anniversary of the Genocide in Rwanda

Nineteen years ago, Rwanda was torn apart by a great evil.  Today, we stand with the people of Rwanda to commemorate the Rwandan genocide. We honor the victims, and we express our solidarity with the survivors. More than 800,000 men, women, and children were killed in a wave of brutal violence, and countless others continue to live with the pain and trauma of their loss.  Today, as the United States grieves with the Rwandan people at this moment of remembrance, we are inspired by their spirit as they build a more peaceful and prosperous tomorrow.  We look with you to the future and renew our commitment to human rights and the rule of law, to the protection of the vulnerable, and to the prevention of atrocities so that such evil is never repeated.