Butare asks residents to reveal location of more Genocide remains

WESTERN PROVINCE RUBAVU — The minister of state in charge of Energy Eng. Albert Butare has urged area residents to volunteer more information which can lead to the discovery of more genocide remains in order to give them a befitting burial.

Friday, July 18, 2008

WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — The minister of state in charge of Energy Eng. Albert Butare has urged area residents to volunteer more information which can lead to the discovery of more genocide remains in order to give them a befitting burial.

The minister said this at Kanzenze memorial site in Rubavu district, during the burial of 405 genocide remains which were discovered recently. The remains were discovered from various sectors of Rubavu.

"You should tell the truth about the location of the remains of the genocide victims so as to be given a decent burial. Genocide victims were innocently killed and some of their bodies are still scattered in various places which some of you could be aware of,” Butare said. 

The burial ceremony was attended by area residents, district and church leaders, police and army officers. He asked residents to say never again to genocide, desist from genocide ideologies and to ensure security and wellbeing of the genocide survivors in the area.

Butare condemned former leaderships for sowing seeds of discord among Rwandans which plunged the country into the Genocide in which about one million people died.

He called upon local leaders to help genocide victims who have not got shelter and support them to join health insurances.

Turning to survivors, he called upon them to forgive, reconcile and work together towards the development of the country.

"Nursing grudges in ones heart creates more grief and pain. We need reconciliation and to forgive those who wronged us in order to achieve peace in our hearts,” he explained.

Genocide survivors appealed to the district leaders to build a historical house at Kanzenze memorial site to keep testimonies, names and photos of thousands of the genocide victims, saying Bigogwe was the first place to experience mass killings orchestrated by the former government. 

Genocide survivors thanked the government of unity and reconciliation that liberated them thus stopping the evil plans of the former government of wiping out all Tutsis in the country.

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