Staff of Crystal Ventures Ltd (CVL), along with members of the Group’s subsidiaries, marked the 31st Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi by honouring those laid to rest at the Kigali Genocide Memorial on Thursday, April 24.

The event began with a guided tour of the museum, gaining deeper insight into Rwanda’s history. Following the tour, the team laid wreaths at the mass graves, honouring the lives lost during the Genocide.

Esther Mujawamariya, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, shared her testimony, recounting how the Genocide began when she was just six years old. She told of how her brother was killed even before 1994, noting indeed that the Genocide had been planned all along.

ALSO READ: Kwibuka: A look back at the horrors of Genocide, through the eyes of survivors

All her family members were killed during the Genocide.

Mujawamariya thanked the government because through FARG fund, she was able to continue her studies, finish secondary school, university, and even complete her Master&039;s degree.

Now a parent herself, she emphasised that future generations will never experience the horrors she endured. She also urged young people to be vigilant against genocide denial and distortion.

Referring to Mujawamariya’s testimony, Jean-Damascène Kalinda, a human rights and international criminal justice specialist, said, "Mujawamariya’s story doesn’t begin in 1994. It’s part of a long and painful history rooted in a systematic plan to eliminate Tutsi.”

He emphasised that the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was planned well before it began.

Kalinda also noted perpetrators and genocide ideologies attempting to rewrite history by shifting blame. "In other countries where mass atrocities happened, you don’t see perpetrators defending themselves by blaming the victims. Yet here, some still blame the RPF-Inkotanyi, the people that stopped the Genocide, the people to whom we owe our lives today.”

He urged the youth not to fall into the trap of genocide denial and historical distortion.

ALSO READ: Genocide ideology remains ripe but we shouldn’t give up the fight

He also noted the ongoing issue of genocide ideology, saying that between April 7 and 13, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) received over 87 genocide ideology cases, including some involving youth born after the Genocide.

"This shows the importance of educating our young people about the true history of Rwanda. That history is the key to healing our wounds.”

Yves Bernard Ningabire, the Chief Operation Officer at CVL, emphasised that this moment of reflection strengthens their resolve to ensure "Never Again" remains a reality. He added that paying tribute to those killed during the Genocide is part of CVL’s broader commitment to support survivors in rebuilding their lives.

"It also includes various day-to-day activities that contribute to the ongoing development of our country. All of this is in line with the mandate of both Intare Holding and Crystal Ventures to actively participate in the nation’s reconstruction, in collaboration with others,” he added.

Ningabire noted that during this year’s commemoration, Kwibuka 31, there has been a rise in genocide denial and hate speech.

"We are witnessing an increase in denial of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, where survivors of the Genocide, those who had been fortunate enough to survive, are still being targeted and killed, in ways we had not seen before.”

He added, "Most of our employees are young people. That’s why I am committing, on behalf of our team, to using our energy and voices to stand up against anyone who wants to drag us back into the darkness we escaped.”

Every year, Rwanda and friends of Rwanda commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, a period marked by paying tribute to the victims while standing in solidarity with the survivors.

More than a million people were killed in the carefully planned killings that lasted from April through July 1994.