Twenty years have passed since the start of the genocide in Rwanda, which took the lives of some 800,000 people. Sadly,even today in some African countries conflict and suppression of human rights, often fueled by religious or ethnic differences, are all too commonplace. The governments of these countries should strive to achieve national reconciliation and unification. Japan and other members of the international community, as well as the United Nations, should extend their support to help them achieve lasting peace and stability.

On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, and Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira, was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade. Rwanda's dominant Hutu ethnic group responded with fury, launching a massive slaughter of ethnic minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Armed with such weapons as spears, hatchets and hoes and led by people in leading positions such as Catholic priests, teachers and public servants, Hutus attacked Tutsis even when they sought sanctuary in schools and churches. Over a six week period, some 800,000 people — about 10 percent of Rwanda's population — lost their lives.

When the genocide started, about 2,500 members of U.N. peacekeeping forces were monitoring the ceasefire in the Rwandan civil war, which had started in 1990. But the U.N. withdrew most of its troops, fearing that they would fall victim to the violence.