The Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement Jean-Damascène Bizimana has said that there cannot be true memory if Genocide crimes continue to be committed in eastern DR Congo by the same perpetrators of 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, hidden and supported by the Congolese government.

He said this during the Kwibuka 30 International Conference on April 5, which was an opportunity to hear from and pay tribute to professionals and activists who made important contributions to preserving the memory of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, healing trauma, delivering justice, and ensuring historical clarity.

The event brought together Rwandan and international authors, journalists, lawyers, and activists to share their post-genocide experiences, engagements, and contributions in a dialogue joining hundreds of participants from Rwanda and beyond.

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In his remarks, Bizimana briefly detailed the historical facts that indicate how the genocide was prepared, how the Tutsi were targeted and discriminated against at different levels, adults and children alike.

He mentioned different factors like discrimination in schools, labour market, monopoly of power, training young people as Interahamwe and ‘Impuzamugambi’ who were instrumental in the execution of the Genocide, and how religious sanctuaries became slaughterhouse and often with the participation of clerics themselves, among others.

"The Genocide was stopped by the Rwanda Patriotic Front on July 1, 1994, and the government of national unity went on to build social peace upon the synergy of everyone. Justice was established as a pillar of national unity.”

He added that the country had to instate a law that punishes Genocide crimes to fight impunity and deliver justice to survivors, highlighting the critical role played by Gacaca courts in trying and sentencing more perpetrators than the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda did.

Bizimana also recognized the critical role that Rwandan, African, and international authors played in preserving the memory of the Genocide and allowed many survivors to find psychological tranquility through recounting their ordeals and paying tribute to their lost loved ones, as well as help fight Genocide denial and revisionism.

Additionally, he emphasized that just across the Rwandan borders, the same Genocide perpetrators and recruits are hosted and supported by the Congolese government to continue their crimes.

"Raise your voice! there cannot be a true memory if the crimes that shed blood 30 years ago continue today.”

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The event featured a panel discussion on Duty of Justice and Protection of Truth, an exchange between legal professionals and citizens who worked for justice at both the ICTR and Gacaca courts, and on public awareness campaigns against impunity.

Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, Chairperson of Rwanda Law Reform Commission (RLRC) and Former Executive Secretary for National Gacaca Jurisdiction, noted that in the aftermath of the Genocide, the country was faced with great judicial responsibilities which demanded instating new laws that enabled Gacaca processes.

She mentioned that while the Gacaca court faced discouragement from the international judicial community, there were several factors that led to its success including the support of the new leadership, collaboration from different institutions, the courage of survivors to give testimonies, and some perpetrators who pleaded guilty and gave additional information that eased the process of other cases.

"The success of Gacaca courts proved that Rwandans have their destiny in their own hands. For the international community, the lesson was that delivering justice on crimes against humanity through a home-grown judicial system was possible and it should serve as a model to many,” she said.

Hindrance of silence culture on rape crimes

Michèle Hirsch, Lawyer specializing in domestic and international criminal law, and Counsel of Victims of Genocide, said that the justice delivered so far was realized because of the strength and testimonies of Genocide survivors.

On the systematic rape crimes committed against Tutsi women before and during the Genocide, she said that during the first years of trying Genocide cases in courts, rape crimes were not mentioned anywhere due to the ‘culture of silence’ until certain victims came out and testified about their rape ordeals, then perpetrators were also pursued on this crime, among others.

"There was an enormous number of women who dared to testify what happened to them before the perpetrators themselves, and judges. Their courage helped the judges to comprehend Genocidal rape as a systematic crime.”

Daphrose Gauthier, Co-founder of the France-based Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR), also reiterated how the culture of silence significantly became a hindrance in the case of Priest Wenceslas Munyeshyaka whereby women withdrew their testimonies on rape crimes which weakened the entire case.

Charles A. Adeogun-Phillips, former lead ICTR prosecutor and head of special investigations at the United Nations, said that there was no precedence experience anyone had with Jurisdiction over Genocide crimes, and thus, many challenges arose.

He mentioned that there were institutional, procedural and practical challenges, especially in terms of who was to bear the greatest responsibility for the Genocide as it mainly focused on the top leaders as suspects and dealt with 80 cases with 62 of them convicted.

Another challenge, he added, was not having law enforcement powers for the court itself to apprehend suspects and could only rely on state cooperation from where fugitives had fled to.