Rwandan President Paul Kagame kicked off the week of national mourning by laying a wreath at the Gisozi memorial in Kigali, where the bodies of more than 250,000 victims of the genocide rest. After observing a minute of silence in memory of the victims, President Kagame announced a national mourning period of 100 days by lighting the Flame of Hope, which will burn for 100 days, the duration of the 1994 genocide (April 7th-July 15th).

In his speech, the Rwandan President noted that commemorating this painful anniversary not only honors the memory of the victims but also proudly showcases Rwanda's achievements through choices made in the service of reconciliation and national progress.

"Rwandans, who have overcome fear, cannot face anything worse than what they experienced during this tragedy," emphasized Kagame, asserting that the nation is prepared to confront any challenge and resist any attempt to regress the country or sow division among Rwandans.

He also expressed gratitude to the delegations for expressing their solidarity with Rwanda on the occasion.