This short testimony goes to the youth, but especially to those who dare to speak of a “double genocide.” I was not hunted. But I remember how the Tutsi were hunted. I remember conversations with my Tutsi peers. Fear in their eyes. Total despair. Wondering where to hide. ALSO READ: ‘Killed twice’: A Bigogwe survivor’s story of loss and resilience I remember Tutsi neighbours trying to return to their places of origin, hoping to find safety, and never making it. Some were killed on the way. Others were killed when they arrived, in places they believed would protect them. ALSO READ: A preventable genocide, a denied responsibility: What ‘Corridors of Power’ reveals about Rwanda I remember churches becoming places of animosity. Places of slaughter. And I remember not understanding how people could suddenly become so cruel. There was a roadblock near our home. People were stopped and asked to present their IDs. If your ID said Tutsi, you were to die. If you had children, they were to die, no matter their age. If you were pregnant, the unborn child was to die first. The unspeakable had become normal. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s commemorations in the shadow of indifference There was a nearby forest. Killers had given it a name; CND. And we would hear them say they had taken people to CND. That is how death was spoken about. Casually. As if it meant nothing. No one questioned it. Those who could ask were the same ones killing or giving the orders. At no point during the Genocide against the Tutsi did I hear of the Hutu being hunted for being Hutu. The Tutsi were hunted. Systematically. Ruthlessly. ALSO READ: Naming the genocide: Why terminology still shapes justice Yes, some Hutu were killed because they were mistaken for Tutsi. Yes, some Hutu were killed because they refused to kill, or because they chose to hide and protect the Tutsi. Yes, many Hutu died on the way to exile, mostly from cholera. But they were never hunted to death for being Hutu. Let us not distort history. Let us not equalise what was never equal. ALSO READ: Memory, responsibility, and vigilance: The role of youth To the youth born in exile, there is no place like home. I wish you could look beyond the negative and distorted stories you may have heard and come back to your motherland. Rwanda welcomes you with open arms. You cannot imagine what it feels like to finally be home. ALSO READ: When Rwanda’s widows broke their silence To the youth in general, Rwanda was once broken. What you see today did not exist. And yet, we rose. We rebuilt. We chose unity over division. Today, Rwanda stands strong, among the fast-developing nations, guided by visionary leadership under President Paul Kagame. Under RPF- Inkotanyi, who stopped the genocide when the international community failed to act. Our dignity was restored. Today, amahanga aratwubaha. This is not something we can ever take for granted. We must stand together to protect our country and our leadership. We must stand together to fight any harm against Rwanda. We must stand together against any form of genocide ideology. We must stand together against genocide denial and distortion, so that “Never Again” becomes a reality. Today and forever. As our President said, Rwanda cannot die twice. The writer is Director General, Communication and Education, City of Kigali.
