Senators have urged government to urgently move to revamp Kinigi memorial site in Musanze District, and ensure the historical facts of genocide in the area are well documented for posterity.
This is one of the recommendations by a senate report that followed an assessment on the conservation of memory of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which was tabled before the senate plenary on Monday October 5.
According to the report, Kinigi memorial should be preserved and facts on the unique story of this area, known for having been where the genocide was conducted "on trial basis” before the wide scale massacre, should be properly documented.
Senator John Bonds Bideri, the head of the Senate standing committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security explained that trial runs for the genocide against the Tutsi were conducted in the area between 1991 and 1993.
He added that a memorial site with such unique history should be accorded special consideration to ensure such important history is not lost.
Kinigi memorial site is one of 13 memorial sites from six districts that senators assessed and found some of them in need of special attention, Bideri said.
Genocide survivors of this area confirm that that in this area, killing the Tutsi begun in 1991 when victims were branded sympathizers of RPF-Inkotanyi.
National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) says that the genocide against the Tutsi in former Ruhengeri prefecture was planned and tested under the support of top leaders in the government of the day, who hailed from the area.
These include Protais Zigiranyirazo who served as the prefect of Ruhengeri prefecture, Thadée Gasana who was the mayor of Kinigi Commune, Fabien Maniragaba who was mayor of Kigombe Commune, Joseph Nzirorera who had served as minister and genocide ideologue and commanders of Mukamira and Bigogwe military camps, among others.
Conservation loopholes
According to available figures, there are 234 genocide memorial sites and 115 mass graves across the country.
Bideri said that during their tour, districts expressed budget constraints and other challenges in conserving and managing some memorial sites at district level.
"In our assessment, we found that although there is good progress in conserving and managing genocide memorial sites and facts, there are still challenges. Some of those who manage memorial sites at national level have limited knowledge in conserving genocide facts and they need such capacity,” he said.
Giving an update on the listing of some of the Genocide memorial sites on the UNESCO World Heritage, Bideri said that a meeting that was supposed to approve them had been due in China but could not take place due to the Covid-19 global pandemic.
The four memorial sites that are pending listing on the global heritage centre are; Kigali Genocide Memorial, Nyamata in Bugesera District, Murambi in Nyamagabe District and Bisesero in Karongi District.