Murambi: From a site of horror to global beacon of remembrance

When the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi began, Juliet Mukakabanda had just given birth to a baby girl, only a month old. Within three months, the genocide would claim more than one million lives, including her husband and two sons. Today, Mukakabanda is among the survivors who bear witness at Murambi Genocide Memorial, where her loved ones are laid to rest. The site received its UNESCO World Heritage inscription certificate on April 6, 2024, placing it on the global stage. ALSO READ: Murambi: Where the dead can be heard As she recounts her story, her voice carries the weight of grief that has never faded. Losing her family is not just a memory but remains a living wound. Murambi Genocide Memorial stands as one of the most haunting reminders of the genocide. Located in Nyamagabe District, in the former Gikongoro Prefecture, the site had long been marked by anti-Tutsi violence dating back to 1959. Originally presented as a place of refuge, Murambi instead became a site of unimaginable horror. Tens of thousands of Tutsi were lured there under false promises of protection and brutally killed. Today, more than 50,000 victims are buried at the memorial, which preserves evidence of the killings and offers a space for remembrance and education. ALSO READ: UNESCO certifies four Genocide memorials added to World Heritage List “I have only one daughter who survived,” Mukakabanda recounts. “The genocide was planned, and its execution began earlier in Murambi. My husband’s parents were killed in 1963 and 1973. My husband and two sons were killed here during the genocide.” She was living in Nyamagabe Commune when violence erupted following the plane crash of President Juvénal Habyarimana on April 6, 1994. “Radio broadcasts began inciting people to kill Tutsi, accusing them of killing the president. Our homes were burned, and the killings spread rapidly. I had just delivered my baby on March 12. I first sought refuge in an ADEPR church, and my husband later joined me,” she said. She recalls how Félicien Semakwavu, then bourgmestre of Nyamagabe, instructed Tutsi to move to Murambi under assurances of safety, reportedly acting on orders from Gikongoro Prefect Laurent Bucyibaruta. ALSO READ: Inscription of memorials good ammunition against genocide deniers “We left the church for Murambi. The pastor had already been killed. We were attacked along the way. When we reached Murambi, we were gathered in classrooms,” she said. The site—then a technical school under construction became one of the most systematically planned killing sites. Victims were registered under the pretense of receiving aid, yet were left without food or water. “Water supply was cut off. People went down to the valley to fetch water, and many were killed. There was no food. People died of thirst,” she recalled. Some men attempted to resist using stones, but they were eventually overwhelmed. “We ate uncooked rice and sorghum. The militia found me with my children,” she said. ALSO READ: The purpose of Genocide memorials: Condemning ideology, not descendants On April 19, 1994, Interim President Théodore Sindikubwabo visited the area and called for the extermination of remaining Tutsi. Days later, on the night of April 21, coordinated attacks began. “Guns, grenades, and traditional weapons were used. Some tried to resist but could not. Only Tutsi had been gathered there but the Hutus had been separated earlier. My husband and two sons were killed. My daughter survived,” she said. Mukakabanda survived after presenting an identity card indicating she was Hutu married to a Tutsi. “They were about to kill me. I asked to pray first. I prayed for my child’s protection. One of the killers then ordered that we should not be killed,” she said. After the genocide was stopped by the RPA-Inkotanyi, she began rebuilding her life, though trauma remained. “I often dreamed of my husband and children. The government built a house for me, and the Survivors Fund supported my daughter’s education. She completed secondary school and later earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree,” she said. ALSO READ: Rwanda's memorial sites and the stories they tell A site that exposes global failure According to Léon Muberuka, a guide at the memorial, Murambi also reflects the failure of the international community to prevent the genocide. The site lies near an area once occupied by French troops under Operation Turquoise. While presented as a humanitarian mission, the operation has been widely criticised for enabling génocidaires to escape into what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. “At the site, there was a volleyball court where a French flag once stood,” Muberuka explained. “Soldiers even played over mass graves.” Some buildings at the memorial were used as dormitories by French troops. Today, several classrooms display preserved bodies of victims, one of the most striking and difficult aspects of the memorial. The preservation, supported by experts from the University of Hamburg’s Institute of Legal Medicine, involved the use of lime to maintain remains alongside victims’ belongings. Mass graves, trenches, and a memorial garden further document the scale of the killings. A history of persecution Murambi is also a testament to the long history of anti-Tutsi violence in Rwanda. Mass killings in Gikongoro date back to 1963, including those carried out under préfet André Nkeramugaba. Subsequent waves of persecution occurred in the 1970s, often denied as genocide at the time. Perpetrators in the region included senior officials such as Aloys Simba, Laurent Bucyibaruta, and Félicien Semakwavu, among others. Preserving memory for future generations Murambi’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List marks a significant step in global recognition of the Genocide against the Tutsi. Muberuka noted that students regularly visit the memorial to learn about the country’s history. “Preserving this site and its recognition by UNESCO ensures that future generations learn from evidence,” he said. Patrick Sindikubwabo, president of Ibuka in Nyamagabe District, said the recognition strengthens the fight against genocide denial. “Only about 50 Tutsi survived here, where more than 50,000 were killed. This recognition affirms the truth and supports healing. It brings these voices to the international stage,” he said. He added that the recognition will also attract more visitors and promote understanding. “We urge everyone to remain united. This is an opportunity to strengthen reconciliation and ensure such atrocities never happen again,” he said.

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Murambi: From a site of horror to global beacon of remembrance