Residents and officials in different districts of the Eastern Province gathered to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi on April 7. In Kayonza, they gathered at the Kabarondo Memorial Site, where Interahamwe murdered 3,000 victims. Tutsi seeking refuge in Kabarondo Catholic Church were exterminated using machine guns on orders of Octavien Ngenzi and Tito Barahira after attempts to kill them with other weapons had failed. After days of guarding themselves, over 1,200 were killed in the church. Wreaths were laid to pay tribute and respect to their lives. Survivors expressed their frustration over the continued lack of information about the location of the victims’ bodies in Kabarondo, requested assistance to visit the Ngara Genocide memorial in Tanzania, and appreciated the progress made in healing emotional wounds and restoring livelihoods. In Kirehe District, Genocide survivors, community members, and participants, marked the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which took place on the shores of Lake Nyabugongwa in the Gahara Sector. Tutsi from different areas near the lake and others from Rukumberi who were killed and thrown into the lake were commemorated. Bruno Rangira, Kirehe District mayor, reminded the youth that they are the future of Rwanda and encouraged them to learn from the tragic events of the past to build a better future for their country. He said: “The youth are the hope of the future, let’s all stand together and fight against anyone who wants to divide Rwandans. Let’s build a Rwanda that is full of opportunities, continue to participate in the programmes planned for the recognition of Genocide survivors, and remember to respect each other.” In Nyagatare, at the Nyagatare Memorial Site, survivors laid a wreath to pay tribute to the 94 bodies laid to rest there. They welcomed the new memorial site, worth an estimated Rwf 1.1 billion, as the final resting place for 94 victims of the Genocide relocated there from other memorial sites in Gatunda, Matimba, and Kiyombe sectors of the district. In Gatsibo District, a flame of hope was lit at the Kiziguro Genocide Memorial Site, symbolising the resilience and strength of the survivors. The community came together to honour and remember the lives lost during the Genocide, pledging never to forget the atrocities that occurred. The commemoration proceeded in Murambi sector in Gatsibo District, a flame was lit in remembrance at Kiziguro memorial site— the resting place of over 20,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi—and, thereafter, participants went to the Rwankuba memorial site in Murambi. Murambi is a sector in Gatsibo District, and Rwankuba is a memorial site in the sector, they lit the flame at Kiziguro and proceeded to Rwankuba memorial site in Murambi sector In Ngoma District, the community, survivors, and officials convened at the Kibungo Memorial site to pay respect to 25,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi laid to rest there. Nathalie Niyonagira, the mayor of Ngoma District, emphasised the importance of rejecting genocide ideology, and made a call to share information on locations with unburied bodies for proper burial and offer ongoing support to survivors as they rebuild their lives.
