The Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Jean-Damascène Bizimana, has said that evidence-based education about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi is crucial for young people, who would otherwise be manipulated and misled through denialist narratives. Bizimana noted that evidence of the Genocide has been documented and emphasized that young people should be equipped with facts and figures, drawn from official records and books. The minister said this at the launch of “Umurage w’Urubyiruko”, a book by Genocide survivor and researcher Yolande Mukagasana, on Monday, February 9 at Kigali Genocide Memorial. Bizimana commended Mukagasana's courage to educate people about the Genocide despite the unimaginable pain she endured in 1994, including the loss of her entire family. ALSO READ: How Rwandan youth are using social media to fight Genocide ideology and preserve memory “The book contains sufficient evidence, and she will continue to present more. This will continue to show how the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was orchestrated to those who don't know about it,” he said. “Hutu who became killers were prepared for that role through divisive politics that led to a destructive ideology. Today, I know many who regret their actions. Many of them feel remorse and acknowledge that the genocidal regime deceived them to that extent,” he added. The 190-page book covers key topics such as the definition of genocide, the origins of the ideology behind the Genocide against the Tutsi, its planning and execution, general patterns of how genocides are organized, the tactics used by deniers and minimizers, examples of genocides in other countries, and the unique characteristics of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It seeks to teach young people the importance of understanding history with evidence, recognizing the dangers of hatred and division, and embracing values of integrity, humanity, and responsibility to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again. ALSO READ: Where youth can find information about the Genocide Minister Bizimana noted that the leaders of the time involved the youth in violence as early as 1959, turning them into participants in the killings and later in the Genocide against other youth. “Some children were drawn into the violence by their own parents, who trained them to spend their days hunting down Tutsi children, uncovering their hiding places, and killing them under the supervision of adults. These acts had devastating effects on the children involved,” he explained. However, he noted that Rwanda’s leadership today is driven by nation-building programmes. “Today, a worrying pattern can be observed among some adults who descend from those who initiated the genocide ideology in Rwanda,” he said. “Among them are people who refuse to acknowledge the destructive role played by their parents and family members in the politics of hatred and mass violence against the Tutsi. As a result, they oppose an honest and comprehensive discussion of ethnic politics, discrimination, divisionism, and all the realities that characterized that ideology,” he added. Among those he said are the sons and the widow of former President Juvénal Habyarimana, Agathe Kanziga. He also mentioned the sons of Genocide convict Protais Zigiranyirazo, Antoine Mukiza Zigiranyirazo, as well as individuals such as Shingiro Mbonyumutwa, the grandsons of Dominique Mbonyumutwa. He also pointed to Antoine Uzabakiriho Alfred, who use the psuedonym Gitifu Sebatware on social media, and Denise Zaneza, Patrick Rugira among many others who continue to deny and distort the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi. “It is mandatory to rely on evidence when educating the youth, for instance, when speaking about Gitifu, his history, his real name, and the reasons behind his denial. This approach helps the youth understand the issue more clearly,” he said. ALSO READ: Yolande Mukagasana's initiative to raise responsible citizens The minister said Mukagasana's book can guide readers on the journey of becoming imfura, the Kinyarwanda word for a person of nobility and moral uprightness. Mukagasana said the book was written because many young people still lack sufficient knowledge and remain vulnerable to individuals who continue to cling to genocide ideology and such groups also need to be consistently educated. “Parents need to tell the truth. Those who carried out the killings had been prepared. If we do not tell young people about those traps, how will they recognize and avoid them? They need to know the truth and be given a choice; otherwise, they may choose wrongly,” she added.
