Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an official certificate on April 7, 2025, formally recognizing the anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi and calling on Texans to observe the occasion with appropriate programs and activities. The certificate, bearing the official seal of the State of Texas, was signed in the City of Austin.
The governor’s certificate acknowledged that thirty-one years prior, Rwanda descended into one of the darkest chapters of postwar history, in which as many as a million men, women, and children lost their lives. The document highlighted the lessons of Rwanda as applicable to all Americans, that warning signs of genocide must be recognized, and that action must be taken to prevent senseless loss of life.
Official recognition by a US state government carries political significance beyond symbolism. Texas, the second-largest US state by population, formally named the genocide against the Tutsi in an executive certificate, reflecting the expanding international acknowledgment of Rwanda’s history. For Rwanda, such recognitions contribute to the broader effort to counter genocide denial and to ensure accurate historical memory at every level of government around the world.
With the 32nd commemoration underway in 2026, Rwanda continues to pursue formal recognitions of the genocide from governments and institutions across the globe. The Texas certificate from 2025 is part of a broader pattern of US states and institutions formally naming and acknowledging the 1994 atrocities.
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