Paul Kagame was the leader of the rebel group that ended the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. He then served as both Vice President and Minister of Defense of Rwanda from 1994 to 2000. In 2000, Kagame became President of Rwanda, a position he still holds today. On April 14, 2014, Kagame commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, saying: “We have pursued justice and reconciliation as best we could, but it does not restore what we lost.” Speaking to the Rwandan people, he says: “You have stood before the community to bare witness and to listen to others do the same. You have taken responsibility and you have forgiven. Your sacrifices are a gift to the nation. They are the seed from which the new Rwanda grows. Thank you for allowing your humanity and patriotism to prevail over your grief and loss.”
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