ACES staff, students honour Genocide victims at Nyanza memorial

Staff and students from the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-Chain (ACES) on May 7, 2026, visited Nyanza Genocide Memorial in Kicukiro District to honour victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. At the event, they reflected on lessons of remembrance, resilience, unity, and the fight against Genocide denial. The visit formed part of the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Nyanza Genocide Memorial is the final resting place for more than 100,000 victims who were killed at Nyanza Hill and surrounding areas of present-day Kicukiro District during the Genocide against the Tutsi. “We honoured the souls of those who lost their lives during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Our visit was also intended to reaffirm the institution’s commitment to ensuring such atrocities never happen again,” said Dr Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye, Acting Director of Operations at ACES, who represented management and staff in solidarity with Genocide survivors and victims’ families. “We stand with the whole of Rwanda to ensure that Genocide never happens again. We also stand with Rwanda in building a resilient and prosperous country,” he noted. During the visit, participants toured different sections of the memorial, including mass graves and the Garden of Memory, where they learned about the tragic experiences endured by victims during the Genocide. Fighting Genocide denial and preserving truth Reflecting on the lessons drawn from the visit, Ndahetuye stressed the importance of confronting Genocide denial and preserving historical truth. “One of the key lessons during this commemoration period is the need to fight Genocide denial so that those who deny the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi are not given space to distort history,” he said. “The truth should prevail, and history must be told accurately. That will help ensure that Genocide against any people never happens again.” He also highlighted the role of young people in safeguarding Rwanda’s future and promoting resilience. “We have also learned that this is a period to contribute to building resilience and strengthening the nation, especially by empowering young people because they are the future leaders,” he added. Students reflect on Genocide history and lessons for peace Among the students who took part in the visit was Eliane Mukakagame, who said it is important for young people to understand Rwanda’s history and preserve the lessons from the Genocide. “It is important for young people like us to learn and understand the history of Rwanda that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi so that we can take the lead in ensuring lasting peace in our country,” she said. The visit also gave participants an opportunity to reflect on the importance of preserving memorial sites and educating younger generations about the dangers of hate, divisionism, and Genocide ideology. Mukakagame also reiterated the importance of fighting Genocide denial and protecting the truth about what happened in 1994. “Fighting Genocide denial is one of the strongest ways to prevent Genocide in Rwanda and elsewhere in the world. Rwandans are focused on building a peaceful country and a brighter future as part of the journey of resilience after the Genocide against the Tutsi,” she said. She added, “As young people, we have learned about the atrocities committed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and we cannot allow such events to happen again. We also learned important lessons from the RPA Inkotanyi, who stopped the Genocide.” Knowing Nyanza Genocide Memorial and the Garden of Memory Gilbert Gasingwa, a guide at the memorial, explained to visitors that the site preserves the memory of thousands of Tutsi. Nyanza is particularly remembered as the place where thousands of Tutsi were massacred after being abandoned by United Nations peacekeepers. Two memorial walls bearing the names of Genocide victims stand as testimony to the Genocide against the Tutsi and help educate younger generations about the facts of what happened. Visitors further learned about the symbolism behind the Garden of Memory, which covers three hectares and represents life, rebirth, and national recovery after the Genocide. The garden contains several symbolic features, including a stone monument, a dry garden, a forest of memory, landscape terraces, earth mounds, a meditation corridor, seasonal marshlands, and an amphitheatre. Marshlands, waterways, rivers, and trenches symbolise places where victims were killed or hidden during the Genocide. A dry garden filled with small stones represents the more than one million lives lost, while a large stone symbolises the Genocide that occurred within 100 days. Flowers planted throughout the garden symbolise love, remembrance, and hope. A sorghum field symbolises the many Tutsi who hid in plantations and survived. Water also recalls how many Tutsi were thrown into rivers, echoing the hate speech of Léon Mugesera, who called for Tutsi to be sent back to Ethiopia through the Nyabarongo River. Gasingwa explained that the earth mounds within the garden symbolise Rwanda as the “land of a thousand hills” and honour the resistance shown by Tutsi in places such as Bisesero, where people defended themselves using stones and traditional weapons. A bamboo forest symbolises the forests and bushes where survivors hid without food and often survived by drinking unsafe water. The memorial also features an open lawn and an amphitheatre capable of hosting about 6,000 people during the 100 days of commemoration activities. A six-metre-high copper monument known as the Flame of Hope, depicting a man and woman standing upright, symbolises dignity, resilience, and restored hope after the Genocide. The forest initially featured 100 trees to represent the 100 days of suffering during the Genocide. Different tree species in the memorial garden carry symbolic meaning connected to Rwanda’s history and recovery. The guide concluded by urging young people, who make up the majority of Rwanda’s population, to work hard to preserve unity and fight Genocide denial, describing denial as a means of evading justice and undermining remembrance.

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ACES staff, students honour Genocide victims at Nyanza memorial