Twenty Years Ago This Month

I had completely forgotten.  Or rather, I turned away from remembering when the end of the genocide turned into a civil war, then a multi-nation war, then a massive refugee and humanitarian crisis that not just continues, but continues to get worse.

So read, and remember, and think about how easily enormous permanent wars begin.

Solemn commemorations marking the 20th anniversary of Rwanda's genocide on Monday bore reminders of a festering anger as a major diplomatic row broke out over allegations of France's complicity in the 1994 massacres.

The French ambassador to Kigali said he had been barred from the commemorations after Paris decided to cancel a ministerial visit in response to the renewed accusations by Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo also told France that it had to face up to the "difficult truth" over its involvement in the murder of 800,000 ethnic Tutsis two decades ago.

Official mourning, which began three months ago with a flame of remembrance touring towns and villages across the small central African nation, culminates on Monday when the torch arrives at the national genocide memorial.