At least 15,629 bodies of genocide victims were accorded decent burial in the newly constructed Gashirabwoba genocide memorial site in Bushenge Sector, Nyamasheke District.
The bodies have been relocated from different sites in line with consolidation of genocide memorial sites initiative.
Dr Jean-Damascène Bizimana, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) said genocide was prepared
These include 13,577 bodies that had been buried in Gashirabwoba, 1,039 bodies from Giheke genocide memorial, 675 bodies from Muyange genocide memorial, 268 bodies from Kidashira and 70 bodies that had been buried in Bushenge Sector.
Speaking on Sunday during the commemoration, Dr Jean-Damascène Bizimana, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) told the gathering that against the Tutsi was prepared and executed in the area by illustrating how the genocide ideology and hatred against the Tutsi were preached.
Hon Fatou Harelimana, the legislator lighting a candle of hope
He talked about masterminds of the genocide in former cyangugu Prefecture, stating a list of 25 notorious ones including the then prefect, businessmen, army commanders, prosecutors, minister of transport, heads of former communes among others
"When we remember such a history, we should thank the good leadership we have today, which does not discriminate Rwandans and should sustain what has been achieved,” he said.
Jean Marie Vianney Bagirishya, the president of IBUKA in Nyamasheke District hailed the youth for participating in commemoration activities and urged them to fight genocide deniers who use social media.
Alphonse Munyantwali, Governor of the Western Province, comforted the survivors.
AERG family citing some of the names of genocide victims
He said that commemoration is a protection because if we do not commemorate or have good leadership, genocide may be perpetrated again. He called all Rwandans to stand up together against whoever wants to take us back to the bad history that Rwanda went through.
Hon. Fatou Harelimana, Senate vice president in charge of Legislation and Government Oversight reiterated that commemoration is an occasion to look back into the history of Rwanda and take measures to ensure that genocide will never happen again.
Dr Jean-Damascène Bizimana, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) told the gathering that against the Tutsi was prepared and executed in the area
"There is a law to punish those who uphold genocide ideology and those deny and trivialize the genocide against the Tutsi. As we commemorate we have to tell the truth about the history of Rwanda to our descendants so that genocide never happens again,” the legislator said.
editor@newtimesrwanda.com