Chief Justice deplores 'knowledge without humanity' as UR honours Genocide victims

Supreme Court President and Chief Justice Domitilla Mukantaganzwa has condemned the planners and perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, saying some of them were educators, who had acquired higher education. Mukantaganzwa said this on Wednesday, April 22, as the University of Rwanda (UR) held the 32nd commemoration of the Genocide, in a solemn event held in honour of students and staff who were killed. ALSO READ: 32 years later, Rwanda remembers She said the tragedy demonstrated that education without strong moral values can be dangerous. “Having knowledge without humanity is meaningless,” the Chief Justice said during the event held at UR Huye Campus, where 563 former students, faculty and staff members are a laid to rest in a Genocide Memorial. She noted that the divisions introduced during colonial rule continued through the First and Second Republics, eventually culminating in the Genocide that claimed more than one million lives. Mukantaganzwa said that many of those who planned and carried out the Genocide were educated individuals, including some who had studied at higher learning institutions. ALSO READ: Youth, memory, and responsibility: Reflecting on engagement during Kwibuka She also stressed the responsibility of universities in preserving historical truth and combating denial and distortion of the Genocide history. She explained that institutions of higher learning should use research and academic inquiry to document the history of the genocide and challenge attempts to distort it. “The University of Rwanda must strengthen research on the Genocide and its history,” Mukantaganzwa said. She also called upon parents, educators and young people to remain vigilant against genocide ideology and divisionism. “History teaches us that harmful ideologies must be confronted wherever they appear,” she said. The event brought together students, lecturers, university faculty and leadership as well as senior government officials and other dignitaries. Also present were Minister of State for Education Claudette Irere, IBUKA President Philbert Gakwenzire, Huye District Mayor Ange Sebutege, Members of Parliament and UR Vice Chancellor, Prof. Didas Muganga Kayihura. ALSO READ: Education minister urges UR to drive unity, transformation During the ceremony, Ambassador Joseph Nsengimana, a former student, shared a testimony recalling how discrimination against Tutsi students manifested itself within the then National University of Rwanda well before the genocide. He recalled how one day in 1973 Tutsi students were told to leave the university. He explained that after spending the day normally and attending a film screening in the evening, they were confronted by fellow students who informed them they were no longer welcome on campus. “They told us we were no longer wanted at the university and had to find somewhere else to go,” Nsengimana said. According to him, the threats quickly escalated the following day when groups began moving from one dormitory room to another targeting Tutsi students. “Those who had not left were beaten, and many of us escaped through the Arboretum toward the town,” he said. Reflecting on the broader historical context, Nsengimana explained that Rwanda had long been characterised by unity and complementarity among its people before European colonialists introduced divisions. He noted that the Belgian colonial administration implemented policies that categorised Rwandans along ethnic lines and promoted narratives suggesting that some groups were superior to others. “They spread the idea that some Rwandans were naturally destined to lead while others were meant only to serve,” he said. The president of the Genocide survivors' organisation Ibuka, Philbert Gakwenzire said Rwanda had already developed as a structured nation long before colonial powers arrived in the region. Despite the painful legacy of colonial policies and Genocide ideology, Gakwenzire encouraged Rwandans to face history with courage while remaining united. “Our history should be a key that opens the future, not a chain that locks us in the past,” he said. Students who attended the event said the lessons shared during the commemoration had strengthened their determination to protect historical truth, particularly in the digital space. Paula Kundwa Ineza said young people have a responsibility to challenge genocide ideology. “Our first responsibility as young people is to fight genocide ideology wherever it appears,” she said. Another student, Levy Gasana, pointed out that misinformation about Rwanda’s history often circulates online, where young people get most of their information. “Those who deny or distort this history actually know it, but what they do is take it and twist it, Gasana said. As for us, since we have been taught the history properly, we confront them by presenting the facts as they are, which are then used as a basis of truth. That is why it is important for young people to understand history so that we can effectively challenge misinformation on social media.” In his remarks, UR Vice Chancellor Prof. Didas Muganga Kayihura, emphasised the role of the university as a place where not only knowledge is transmitted but also values that shape responsible citizens. He said the memory of students, lecturers and staff members who were killed during the Genocide should inspire the institution to continue promoting unity and ethical leadership. “As educators, we have the responsibility to raise a generation that rejects hatred and division,” Kayihura said. He added that the university continues to instill values of unity, reconciliation and patriotism among students while equipping them with the knowledge needed to contribute to the country’s development. The commemoration concluded with participants laying wreaths at the graves of Genocide victims laid to rest at the Genocide Memorial at Huye Campus.

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Chief Justice deplores 'knowledge without humanity' as UR honours Genocide victims