Commemorations have begun in Rwanda to mark the 25th anniversary of the genocide that killed about a tenth of the population.

The country will mourn for 100 days, the time it took in 1994 for 800,000 Rwandans to be massacred.

Most were minority Tutsis, killed by ethnic Hutu extremists.

President Paul Kagame, who led the rebel force that ended the genocide, lit a remembrance flame at the memorial in the capital, Kigali.

The commemoration activities began with the flame-lighting ceremony at the memorial, where about 250,000 victims are said to be buried. The flame will burn for 100 days.

The 61-year-old president, who has led the country since the end of the genocide, then delivered a speech at the Kigali Convention Centre.

He said the resilience and bravery of the genocide survivors represented the “Rwandan character in its purest form”.

“In 1994, there was no hope, only darkness. Today, light radiates from this place. How did it happen? Rwanda became a family once again.”  

The president said the events had made the country more united.

“The fighting spirit is alive in us. What happened here will never happen again,” he said.

Kagame will later lead a vigil at the Amahoro National Stadium, which was used by United Nations officials to try to protect Tutsis during the killings.