Today, April 13, Rwanda concludes the National Mourning Week with a ceremony honouring politicians who were killed for opposing the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. In the ceremony held at Rebero Genocide Memorial, Rwandans, government officials, families of the fallen politicians, security forces, leaders of political parties and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Kigali came together to pay their tributes to the men and women who stood up against hatred and genocide ideology and chose the path of unity at a time the country faced its darkest chapter. ALSO READ: Who are the nine politician to be honoured for their anti-genocide stand? By 2023, twelve politicians had been laid to rest at the memorial, which is the final resting place for over 14,000 victims of the Genocide. In 2024, the names of nine more politicians were inscribed at the memorial, bringing the total to 21. Some of them were killed at the onset of the Genocide against the Tutsi -- as early as April 7, 1994 -- that would claim over one million lives in just 100 days. Top among the politicians who opposed the Hutu Power extremists behind the genocide agenda was then Prime Minister Agather Uwiringiyimana, who was brutally assassinated by the presidential guard, along with her husband of 19 years, Ignace Barahira, on April 7, 1994. They left behind five children. Uwiringiyimana and her husband were among the first victims of the genocidal machinery following the downing of President Juvenal Habyarimana's plane on April 6 by radical elements within his own government and military opposed to peace talks with the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF). A former education minister and an advocate of equal opportunity among Rwandans, Uwiringiyimana's went to Lycée Notre Dame de Citeaux in the capital Kigali, where she earned a certificate in Mathematics and Chemistry. Later, following a brief teaching stint in Kibuye (in present-day Karongi), she pursued a degree in chemistry at the then National University of Rwanda. However, contrary to the other slain politicians being honoured today, Uwiringiyimana's remains are interred at the National Heroes' Mausoleum in Remera, along with other departed national heroes such as Fred Gisa Rwigema, the first commander of the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA)/Inkotanyi, the force that embarked on an armed liberation struggle in October 1990, eventually defeating the genocidal regime and stopping the killings in July 1994. ALSO READ: How national heroes are selected Uwiringiyimana is one of the heroes in the Imena category, which honours heroes who demonstrated extraordinary acts for the country, characterized by supreme sacrifice, along with King Mutara III Rudahigwa, Michel Rwagasana, Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Felicite Niyitegeka, and the Nyange Students. ALSO READ: Call for non-divisive politics as Genocide commemoration week ends As noted earlier, Rebero Genocide Memorial is the final resting place for the majority of prominent politicians slaughtered in 1994 for either opposing the genocidal agenda or for being Tutsi, along with thousands of other ordinary Genocide victims. They include the following; Joseph Kavaruganda Joseph Kavaruganda was the President of the Constitutional Court. Kavaruganda was killed on April 7. Landouard 'Lando' Ndasingwa Landouard Ndasingwa was the President of Liberal Party (PL). The politician fondly called Lando was killed with his wife and two children on April 7 in Remera by forces of the then Republican Guard. Andre Kameya Andre Kameya was a member of PL and journalist. He was killed in June 1994. His wife and children had been killed in April. Kameya worked with Kinyamateka, ORINFOR and also served as the Editor-in-Chief of the journal of the Ministry of Justice. He was murdered after launching a newspaper called Rwanda Rushya. ALSO READ: Who are journalists killed during Genocide against the Tutsi? Frederic Nzamurambaho Frederic Nzamurambaho was the President of Social Democratic Party (PSD) and Minister of Justice. He was killed on April 7 at his home by forces of the then Republican Guard. Felicien Ngango Felicien Ngango was the Vice President of PSD. He was among politicians to be appointed in the Government following Arusha accords. Faustin Rucogoza Faustin Rucogoza was a member of Republican Democratic Movement (MDR) and Minister of Information. He was killed along his wife on April 7. In 1993, Rucogoza had denounced hate speeches by Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) and issued a warning against the broadcaster. Augustin Rwayitare Augustin Rwayitare was a member of PL. He was killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi for opposing the Government which sowed hatred among Rwandans. Venantie Kabageni Venantie Kabageni was a member of PL party. She was killed at the beginning of Genocide against the Tutsi for her convictions that opposed bad governance of the Habyarimana regime. Jean de la Croix Rutaremara Jean de la Croix Rutaremara was also a politician whose vision was against ethnic discrimination fuelled by the Habyarimana government. Jean Baptiste Mushimiyimana Jean Baptiste Mushimiyimana was a member of PSD party. He was killed for opposing the divisive policies of the Habyarimana regime. Charles Kayiranga Charles Kayiranga was a politician and member of PL. He was killed during the Genocide for promoting democratic leadership and opposing segregationist policies. Aloys Niyoyita Aloys Niyoyita was a politician from PL. He was killed for opposing the bad governance of Juvenal Habyarimana's regime. Boniface Ngulinzira Boniface Ngulinzira, the former Minister Foreign Affairs, advocated for Rwandan unity during the Arusha peace talks, which brought together the regime of Juvenal Habyarimana and the then RPF-Inkotanyi rebels. He saw peace talks as the viable solution to end the war between the then government forces and RPF-Inkotanyi. Because of his tolerant political convictions, in the early 1990s Ngulinzira defected from extremist ruling party MRND to MDR. He was killed on April 11, 1994 on the hill of Nyanza in Kicukiro where thousands of Tutsi civilians were slaughtered by Interahamwe militia and government forces after being abandoned by Belgian troops who served under the UN mission to Rwanda (UNAMIR). ALSO READ: Thousands gather to honour Tutsi abandoned by Belgian forces at ETO Kicukiro Godefroid Ruzindana Godefroid Ruzindana, the former prefect Kibungo prefecture stood against genocidal politics and he, together with his family, was killed as a result. Ruzindana hailed from the PSD party. He was killed in May 1994. Before he was killed, he was replaced from his position by an extremist, Anaclet Rudakubana, who immediately rolled out the killing machine that took lives of tens of thousands in Kibungo and surrounding areas. Jean-Gualbert Rumiya Jean-Gualbert Rumiya, who was a professor at the former National University of Rwanda, left the MRND in November 1992 in opposition to the encouragement of violence against the Tutsi. His resignation from the extremist party stemmed from the incendiary speech made in 1992 by Leon Mugesera, who was his fellow faculty member at the university, in which he openly called for the extermination of the Tutsi. Rumiya was killed on May 4, 1994. Vincent Rwabukwisi Vincent Rwabukwisi was a journalist and politician who used his platform, Kanguka newspaper, to promote peace and reconciliation at a time when violence and discrimination were being encouraged by the media. He founded Kanguka purposely to counter the extremist and toxic narrative. Later, the Habyarimana regime fronted Hassan Ngeze to start Kangura newspaper to counter Kanguka which published the infamous Hutu ten commandments among other anti-Tutsi tropes. Rwabukwisi, who was also the founding president of UDPR political party, was killed on April 11, 1994. Jean Baptiste Habyarimana As prefect of Butare prefecture, Jean Baptiste Habyarimana dedicated his political efforts to preventing violence during the Genocide against the Tutsi. Habyarimana was killed alongside his family. He was a Tutsi. With him as the prefect, Tutsi killings were prevented in Butare until he was replaced with a hardliner who encouraged genocide. Calixte Ndagijimana Calixte Ndagijimana was the mayor of Commune Mugina in the former Gitarama prefecture. A member of the MDR party, he was one of three mayors who fought against the genocidal killings in their communes and were killed for their convictions. He was killed on April 21, 1994. Narcisse Nyagasaza Narcisse Nyagasaza was the mayor of Commune Ntyazo also in the Butare prefecture. He hailed from the PL party. Like Ndagijimana, Nyagasaza also opposed killings in his commune and he had to pay with his life. He was killed on April 23, 1994. Jean-Marie Vianney Gisagara Jean-Marie Vianney Gisagara was the mayor of Commune Nyabisindu, also in Butare prefecture. He was a member of the PSD party. Like mayors Ndagijimana and Nyagasaza, Gisagara also opposed the Genocide against the Tutsi in his area. He was killed on May 5, 1994. Dr Theoneste Gafaranga Theoneste Gafaranga was a private medical practitioner who hailed from PSD party. He was the second vice president of PSD. He was killed on April 16, 1994.
