RwandAir and aviation sector stakeholders on Friday, April 24, paid tribute to 13 former airline staff killed in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, while reaffirming their commitment to reject persecution and uphold unity.

However, the whereabouts of four former staff members and their families remain unknown, and it is believed that they may have been wiped out along with their entire families.

The aviation community reaffirmed that striving for equal opportunity, delivering the best regional service, expanding operations, and contributing to overall national development under visionary leadership is the only way to honour those slain and live a life of dignity after 32 years.

This is especially significant given that many Rwandans (Tutsi) faced discrimination in the past, and detractors turned a blind eye when over one million people were killed in 100 days, doubting the possibility of a renewed Rwanda.

The national carrier was joined by Aviation Travel and Logistics (ATL), RwandAir Catering, Akagera Aviation, Rwanda Airports Company (RAC), Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA), National Aviation Services (NAS), and the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA).

Before the commencement of the official ceremony at Kigali International Airport, the delegation visited Kamonyi Genocide Memorial, where they laid wreaths in honour of more than 47,000 victims laid to rest there. They also donated support to Genocide survivors to help them rebuild their lives.

A survivor’s perspective on national carrier transformation

Virginia Mutuyemariya, a Genocide survivor who has worked at Air Rwanda since 1986, when the national carrier had only four aircraft, said that years before 1994, working conditions at the airline were extremely difficult.

She noted that no one would have wished to work there unless driven by economic necessity and lack of alternatives as they did.

She recalled that while she was serving Air Zaïre with ticketing and fuel services, the airline later ceased its operations in Kigali and was given a letter recommending her to join Air Rwanda staff, but no one responded to her request until she personally visited the office to plead for the position. Despite being qualified, she almost lost the opportunity.

Overall, she added, only 2 per cent of Tutsi were allowed to work in government institutions. During her brief period of unemployment, people were required to present an identification card for the unemployed, where Number 1 was assigned to Hutu, Number 2 to Tutsi, and Number 3 to Twa.

She explained that the situation at Air Rwanda was hostile, as most staff were from the north and closely aligned with the former regime. The environment was harsh and ethnically discriminatory. As a Tutsi, she said, one had to remain constantly vigilant, avoid unnecessary interactions, and, at best, hope to get through the day without mistreatment.

"We were isolated, with surveillance everywhere, and we knew who to approach and who to avoid,” she said. "Most of the staff were Interahamwe, for example Isabella Uzanyinzoga, the wife of Col. Théoneste Bagosora, and Mwamini, who castrated Tutsi men, Kandekwe, and many others.”

"Imagine living in those conditions for years. We were like the living dead, surviving without any sense of life,” she added.

Mutuyemariya miraculously survived and praised how the national carrier has transformed from manual to digital services.

She noted that RwandAir has grown into a significantly larger airline than its predecessor, Air Rwanda, expanding from four to more than 10 aircraft, alongside an increase in destinations. She described this growth as a reflection of Rwanda’s revival.

She noted that RwandAir has expanded significantly, growing from four aircraft under the former Air Rwanda to more than 10 commercial aircraft today, alongside an increase in destinations—growth she described as a reflection of Rwanda’s revival.

Young people, she said, should learn from this progress, avoid going astray, and strive to preserve dignity.

"Building is possible, and so is destruction,” she said. "What has been achieved should not only be celebrated but also sustainably preserved for the future.”

National reflection and call for unity

Canoth Manishimwe, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure, said that the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi—which was fueled by a divisive regime—is an occasion for Rwandans to reflect on the progress made, acknowledge achievements, and reaffirm their commitment to further advancing the country’s sustainable development.

"You are connecting Rwanda with foreign countries, maintaining diplomatic ties, and positioning Rwanda on the global map in a positive way, unlike those who did so for a bad history,” he said. "That is marketing Rwanda positively, keep it rolling, and good things lie ahead,” he stated.

"We have visionary leadership that provides equal opportunity and direction. It is up to us to work hard, compete, and ultimately become exemplary in service delivery, infrastructure, both regionally and globally. That is the best way to honour the slain staff and those who innocently lost their lives in 1994,” he added.

Youth were particularly urged to remain resolute and face the future head-on, especially by standing against those who deny the Genocide online.

The need to remember and remain vigilant

Augustin Nshimiyimana, a representative from Ibuka, said that the way a country honours its fallen reflects how much it values the lives that were cut short. He added that young people must keep this in mind, as failing to do so could endanger lives.

He also cited a statement from Gérard Prunier’s book Rwanda Crisis: History of a Genocide. The French academic and historian notes that "genocide preparation requires great knowledge” and that "genocide is just a new phenomenon and could increasingly manifest in the days to come.”

"From this perspective, do not relax. It is very alarming,” he said.