[Lambeth Palace press release] Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby arrived in Rwanda the evening of Feb. 1 saying the country had come far since the genocide of 20 years ago. He added: “We must do all we can to encourage the vital work of reconciliation.”

The archbishop, accompanied by his wife, Caroline, is visiting Rwanda at the invitation of the Anglican Archbishop, Onesphore Rwaje (right). Welby and his wife are on a five-day visit to South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to meet with fellow Primates of the Anglican Communion.

The trip is part of Welby’s plan to visit all of his fellow archbishops around the Anglican Communion during his first 18 months in office. His desire is to express solidarity, build personal and professional bonds, understand the primates’ work in their local contexts, and lay foundations for good collaboration over the coming years.

Arriving in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, Welby said: “It gives me great joy to visit Rwanda with my wife Caroline at the invitation of the Anglican Archbishop, Onesphore Rwaje. Rwanda is a country so important to the East African revival and the church continues courageously to hold the Gospel before its nation and the wider world.

“In a year marking the 20th anniversary of the genocide, it’s a time both to remember and to recognize how far Rwanda has come since those terrible events. We must do all we can to encourage the vital work of reconciliation and healing and the overcoming of fear.”