Kwibuka 2015 to focus on tackling genocide denial

Activities to mark the 21st commemoration of the Genocide against Tutsi will revolve around engaging the international community on the issue of genocide denial and revisionism, according to the National Commission for the fight against Genocide (CNLG). Appearing before the Senatorial Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Good Governance, yesterday, the commission’s executive secretary, Jean de Dieu Mucyo, said they also intend to use Rwandans in Diaspora to drive the campaign. “We want to put more effort in engaging the Rwandan Diaspora in light of the isolated cases of genocide denial and revisionism,” said Mucyo, adding that they also want to put in place more monuments in memory of the Genocide in different countries. Already, there are Genocide memorials in different countries, including Uganda where, at three sites, tens of thousands of victims have been accorded decent burial. “We discovered other mass graves in Tanzania and these people too need to be accorded a decent burial,” he said. He said that information they received also indicated that there are other victims who may be in Burundi. During the 1994 Genocide, tens of thousands of Tutsi were thrown into water bodies, either alive or dead. Those who managed to swim landed in neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, besides memorial sites, Mucyo said they want to have as many monuments marking the Genocide as possible in different countries, giving an example of one that was last year inaugurated in France. “Walls of remembrance are being built around the world and this facilitates people to commemorate the Genocide while getting to know the truth about Rwanda. Even though the journey is still long, we have already taken a big step,” Mucyo added. To ensure that all Rwandans participate and own the commemoration activities, in 2013, CNLG in partnership with the umbrella survivors organisation, agreed on a new approach where by commemoration at the national level would be held every five years, beginning with last year’s 20th commemoration. Other commemoration events, including this year’s event, will be held at the village level. Sen. Chrysologue Karangwa told CNLG officials that the construction and rehabilitation of local memorial sites in the country should be expedited to ensure that the majority are completed before commemoration in April.

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Kwibuka 2015 to focus on tackling genocide denial