Rubavu District Mayor Prosper Mulindwa has urged border communities near DR Congo to remain vigilant and reject genocide ideology being disseminated from the neighboring country. Mulindwa made the remarks on Wednesday, April 8, during a night vigil held in Nyundo Sector, as part of the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Survivors call for “proper preservation” of Nyundo Diocese genocide history He highlighted Rubavu District’s proximity to DR Congo, noting that some individuals along the border continue to collaborate with perpetrators of the Genocide, who fled to the neighbouring country. “Some perpetrators crossed the border into DR Congo, where they continue to hide in the jungle and maintain communication with people living near the border, spreading genocide ideology,” Mulindwa said. He called on residents to make responsible choices and reject harmful influences coming from the neighboring country. “You must think critically and choose between someone who is hiding in the jungle or your leaders who are committed to improving your livelihoods,” he added. The mayor noted that bad governance in the past spread genocide ideology, leading to Genocide that claimed over one million lives, a dark chapter in Rwanda's history whose effects are still felt today. According to Gérard Mbarushimana, a representative of the Genocide survivors organisation Ibuka in Rubavu District, Rwandans, especially young people, must intensify efforts to combat genocide ideology being spread abroad, particularly in Western countries and in the region. He noted that genocide ideology is a threat to the country. “Young people here must draw lessons from RPF-Inkotanyi,” Mbarushimana noted. “They were your age, and their courage led to the liberation of this country and the end of the Genocide against the Tutsi.” He also warned against genocide denial, noting that some individuals living in Europe, including some from Rubavu, continue to spread false narratives claiming there were two genocides. He urged the youth to challenge such historical distortions. He also stressed that hate speech and violence against Genocide survivors must be prevented. Jacky Ineza Rugwiro, a Genocide survivor who was rescued as a baby from among bodies at Mahoko Trading Center, shared her painful experience, describing how the effects of the Genocide have continued to impact her both physically and emotionally. ALSO READ: Genocide victims dumped in Lake Kivu remembered in Rubavu “My so-called adoptive parents in Kigali City abused me physically and emotionally, leaving me feeling dead while still alive,” she recalled, adding that the abuse continued during her school years, where she was subjected to insults. “I was called ‘little Tutsi’ when I was still a child, and a prostitute when I was in high school.” Rugwiro thanks Rwanda's leadership today for ensuring the safety and security of survivors. She also urged other survivors and Rwandans in general to learn from the leaders.
