Rwandan President Paul Kagame came to Sacramento State Thursday to speak about the progress of his nation that was torn after a massive genocide. Kagame called the genocide “the most brutal and fastest in human history,” claiming nearly a million lives over a decade ago.

President Alexander Gonzalez said it was an honor to have a guest of Kagame’s caliber visit Sac State.

“This is a historical event … and it’s something that I think all of us here will never forget,” Gonzalez said. “It’s under the leadership of President Kagame, in taking a dynamic stance on these issues, that will not only lead Rwanda, but all of us, to a better nation and a better world.”

Rwanda’s first lady Jeanette Nyiramongi and key members of Kagame’s delegation were also in attendance. After visiting Sac State, Kagame made a stop at the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce and the University of Pacific in Stockton.

“The task this morning is to talk to you about managing ethnic relations in post-genocide Rwanda, and the lessons we can learn from the conflict resolution,” Kagame said.

The Rwandan president spoke about what led up to Rwanda’s “darkest episode in history” that saw the Hutu and Tutsi tribes collide, despite their having no ethical, language or cultural differences, and what is now being done to bring the nation together, Kagame said.

“The mission of the commission is to foster unity and reconciliation by providing a platform of free and candid expression of views pertaining to unity and reconciliation from Rwandans of all walks of life,” Kagame said.

While the Rwandan president received a warm welcome from about 400 people in the Alumni Center, about 20 protestors with signs from the Inga Association, a group that represents natives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, were not as welcoming.

“We are not interested in what he has to say,” said Ameda Kyubwa, a sociology graduate student. “The president is not what he seems to be.”

“He’s a murderer,” said Delphin Kyumwa, who is also a member of the Inga Association. “I know he has nothing to say that is true. He could have prevented genocide, but instead he wanted power.”

Kyubwa said that one major concern he has is that Kagame sent troops to the Congo to look for soldiers of the former regime who were responsible for the genocide, but instead innocent people were being killed.

“He has created more trouble for the region,” Kyubwa said.

Ernest Uwazie, a Sac State criminal justice professor, said that last summer a group called the Fulbright Group, composed of 14 faculty members from Sac State and other academic institutions made, a trip to Rwanda to explore its culture, ethnicity and national reconciliation.

“Why the genocide?” Uwazie said. “We wanted to understand how the atrocity could have taken place in Rwanda.”

After visiting the country, Uwazie and other faculty wanted to know more about the post-genocide Rwanda and its current state, and thus decided to invite Kagame to give a lecture at Sac State.

The Fulbright Group has also raised over $10,000 for various charitable organizations in Rwanda and will soon set up scholarships for Rwandans, Uwazie said.

Government student Tiffany Good attended the event and said, “I thought it was good, but a lot of what he said I already knew — it was topical.”

Kagame’s speech lasted about 30 minutes.

“We must be resolute in promoting attributes of nationhood and instill in our people hope of the future,” Kagame said. “We as leaders cannot afford to let them down.”

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Gamaliel Ortiz can be reached at [email protected]