>> you are watching "france 24." let's take a look at the headlines this hour. to markommemoration is the 20th anniversary of the genocide in rwanda but the official mourning has been overshadowed in renewed claims france was complicit in the killings. a tearful oscar pistorius takes to the stand for the first time in his murder trial in south africa. he apologizes to the mother of his girlfriend reeva steenkamp. he admitted to shooting her dead last year but he said he missed to -- mistook her for an intruder. the biggest election in the world gets underway. some of india's 814 million

voters head to the polls in the first of nine voting stages to unit a new parliament. -- elect a new parliament. >> also coming up, tap dancing is no longer the preserve of gentlemen in top hat, black shoes and shiny shoes. the dance has been reinvented by an australian troupe touring the world and they are tapping their weight right here into the capital. 20 years on, the genocide still casts a long shadow on rwanda. we will take a look at how moves toward reconciliation are taught in school. that is our top story. this monday in rwanda, carla --, moderation tell to mark the 20th

anniversary of the genocide. for three months in 1994, some tsi's00 all, mostly tu were slaughtered. a flame was just lit at the memorial center. it will burn for 100 days of the massacre. to give us a bit more, let's go georgia who i believe is at the stadium with a ceremony is taking lace. talk us through, if you will, what has been happening so far today? >> as you mentioned him a the president and several heads of state and delegations from around the world headed to the therial where they lit up flame of remembrance. ki-moony we have ban speaking. he started his speech, what was meant by rounds of applause by the audience as he began speaking in the national --guage and he said rwanda

the question of the international community's response is still one that is very raw amongst many commentators and rwandans here. for the speech from the president himself, which should be following shortly after ban ki-moon. it will be very closely watch, particularly keeping in mind this that with france with rwanda's decision to pull the attendance of the justice minister and kigali's response saying he would not allow the french ambassador to attend. thatu mentioned the spat has been slightly overshadowing this day of national mourning. you said the french ambassador to rwanda has been barred from those ceremonies today. but tell us who else is there besides ban ki-moon will has come to mark this genocide 20 years on. massive turnout in terms of countries represented by sending

delegations. it must be said that despite the high level standoff between france and rwanda on what who or if france would be able to send, the rwandan prime minister did thank those french members of civil society who did attend because of their involvement and closeness to the rwandan story. we also have delegations from djibouti, canada, spain, new zealand. earlier today we had one of the first speeches, head of state, from uganda, then a speech from zuma, the president of the au commission. and now we are listening to ban ki-moon, and all eyes on the podium waiting for the rwanda president to take the stage on this emotive day, and a missed

timed spat between kigali and paris. >> georgia kelvin smith reporting from kigali to mark the 20 years since the genocide. we will be bringing you the speech from kigami when it begins. >> let's go to india where people have begun voting in the world's biggest general election. the vote is spread out over nine stages due to the sheer size of the country. the votes will not wrap up for another month yet emma with the main hindu nationalist opposition party had to get the strongest back in. it's concerned, it would bring an end to their willing congress party's 10 years in power. the first stage of india's mammoth elections, voters line up to cast their ballots. the process began in two states restiveountry's northeast. >> i feel great. i'm voting for the first time.

>> we hope to have a good leader who forms a stable government and can find solutions to the problems the country is facing. >> dozens of parties are in the running, but polls put opposition bjp out front. been touring the entire nation for the last six months and talking about changing the future of india. >> faced with rising food prices and worsening poverty, many indians want change. they are said to punish prime minister's congress party at the ballot, for high inflation and endemic corruption. the congress party is being led influentialnd most than this. -- dynasty. we three-year-old rahul gandhi promises a growth rate of eight percent in three years and

programs to help the poor. >> we believe we cannot know the country while the collecting either business or neglecting the poor people. and the best party, the best ideologic -- ideology to do this, the congress party. >> the biggest election of the world's largest democracy will run for six meters -- six weeks. >> ukraine, to regional government buildings and a security service office has been seized by pro-russian protesters in three different cities in eastern ukraine. wantemonstrators say they a crimea-style referendum on whether or not to become part of russia. witnesses in one town said pro-russian activists are occupying regional offices there and they proclaimed the creation etsk separatist dont republic. >> in front of the regional government headquarters,

pro-russian charged police lines. eventually, activists broke through, storming the building and raising the russian flag. tousing to use force dislodge demonstrators, police officers withdrew. earlier in the day, similar etsk,s took place in don forcing their way into a government building, activist removed the ukrainian flag and hoisted the red white and blue of russia and promised to squelch the presidential poll. >> we are boycotting the elections and demanding a referendum for independence to create a federation of the south and east of ukraine and have russian as our official language. care about what will happen to our country tomorrow. i am not against separation, and i don't recognize the current

government. because we have oligarchs in control again. ministere's interior promised to restore order without using violence. accused viktor yanukovych of conspiring with moscow. there been frequent pro-russian rally since yannick over its was toppled in february and in the wake of moscow's takeover of crimea, the standoff between russia and ukraine has only intensified. >> you are watching "france 24." let's go to kigali were president paul kagame is speaking of a ceremony to mark 20 years since the genocide in uganda. let's listen. [speaking in foreign language]

[applause] guests,ur distinguished i don't have enough words to express my appreciation to all of you who have come from near and far. asbe with us on a day important as this. whoso thank all of those rwanda's with us in incredible journey of

rebuilding. rememberthered here to lives, theost their those whoand comfort survived. pay tribute to the victims, both the living and those who have passed, we also salute the unbreakable rwandan owe theo which we survival and renewal of our country. [applause] [speaking in foreign language]

[applause]

[speaking in foreign language] [applause] to our parents, children, brothers and sisters who ns whoed, to rwanda defied the call to genocide and it is yougave voice,

who bear the burden to our history. we have pursued justice and reconciliation as best we could. restore what we lost. again, these past 20 years, rwandans have given of themselves. they have stood before the community to bear witness and listen to others do the same. you have taken responsibility and you have forgiven. are a gift tos

the nation. they are the seed from which the new rwanda grows. thank you for allowing your humanity and --to prevail over your grief and loss. thank you very much. [applause] fellow rwandans, dear friends. clarity is a duty of memory that we cannot escape. again,the words, never there is a story whose truth must be told in full. [applause]

no matter who you are, and how uncomfortable. [applause] people who planned and were -- out the genocide but the history and a root causes go beyond this beautiful country. [applause] why rwandans continue to seek the most complete explanation possible for what happened. humility as a

that nearly destroyed itself, but we are nevertheless determined to recover our dignity as a people. [applause] years, in short or long -- is a short or long, depending on where you stand. but it is no justification for false moral equivalence. notpassage of time should obscure the facts. orsen the responsibility turn victims into villains. [applause]

people cannot be bribed or forced into changing their history. and no country is powerful enough, even when they think they are, to change the facts. [applause] all, --l, after french]g in [applause] in foreign

language] [applause] [speaking in foreign language] [applause] the roles andof responsibilities of external actors and institutions, it is because genocide prevention demands historical clarity.

of all of us. not because we wish to shift the .lame onto others and those others should have their moment to be humble in the face of historical facts. [applause] all genocides begin with an thatogy, a system of ideas says this group of people here, human, andss than they deserve to be exterminated. legacy ofevastating , inpean control of rwanda

the wider context of africa, was the transformation of social distinctions into so-called races. dissectedassified and into whichever differences that exist -- and whatever defenses that existed were magnified according to a framework invented as well. [applause] purpose was neither benign, but the ideology group. claims to colonial roll over and civilized -- rule over and to civilized supposedly lesser peoples. we are not.

this ideology was already in place in the 19th century and was then introduced -- entre nched by the french missionaries is settled here. rwanda's 2000 years of history of --educed to a series based on bible passengers and mistold to explore verse. colonial fear of rwanda -- claimed that hostility between tutsiing called hutu, twa was permanent and

necessary. this was the beginning of the i, aside against the tuts we saw it 20 years ago. participation of belgian officials and catholic institutions, these invented histories were made the only basis of political organization, as if there was no other way to govern and develop society. countrylt was a perpetuated on the verge of a genocide.

however, africans are no longer resigned to being hostage to the low expectations. to and respect the views of others, but ultimately we have got to be responsible for ourselves. [applause] in rwanda, we are lying -- we human valuesn which include our culture and modernons to find solutions to our unique challenges. managing the diversity in our society should not be seen as

denying the uniqueness of every rwandan. newe succeed in forging a more inclusive national would -- we we did not need to experience genocide to become a better people. it isn't lee -- it simply should never have happened. [applause] [speaking in foreign language]

quick co watching -- >> you are watching "france 24." you are listening to the you are listening to the president ofgg99ññwçça7guc

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