Members of Ubudasa Club, a network of local entrepreneurs and investors, have pledged to share the history and lessons of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rukumberi following their visit to memorial sites there, underscoring the importance of preserving survivors' stories and confronting genocide ideology. ALSO READ: April 16, 1994: Genocide massacres peak in Rukumberi They visited Rukumberi Genocide Memorial and other sites where some of the area’s worst atrocities took place during the genocide, including areas around Akagera River, Lake Mugesera, and the Memorial on Friday, June 12. ALSO READ: Combat those distorting Genocide history, Minister Irere says at Rukumberi At Rukumberi Genocide Memorial, in Ngoma District, members toured sections displaying victims’ remains, clothing, and personal belongings, as well as some of the tools used by genocide perpetrators. The memorial is the final resting place of more than 42,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Rukumberi: The best way to honour departed loved ones is to carry their legacy forward Established in 2010, Ubudasa Club brings together more than 100 entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals committed to national development. During the visit, the club’s coordinator, Martin Manebu, said members made a firm commitment to ensure that the lessons learned in Rukumberi are widely shared. ALSO READ: Lessons from Kigali Genocide Memorial through the lens of an Afghani student “Every area suffered during the genocide, but each has its own story. What we have learned in Rukumberi has opened our eyes,” he said. “We will continue to share these lessons with our families, employees, and communities so that this history is never forgotten.” ALSO READ: Learning about our history is a patriotic duty He emphasized the importance of including people of all ages in such delegations, noting that the responsibility of preserving history should not rest solely with older generations. During the visit, members listened to testimony from Raymond Habimana, the president of Ibuka, the genocide survivors’ association, in the area and one of the few survivors in his family. ALSO READ: A preventable genocide, a denied responsibility: What ‘Corridors of Power’ reveals about Rwanda Habimana survived alongside one of his sisters. Their parents and 10 siblings were killed during the genocide. Speaking at Akagera River, he explained why remembrance activities in Rukumberi often begin there. “There was a major roadblock here, and nobody could cross,” he said. “People were killed and immediately thrown into this river. Others who had been killed elsewhere were also brought here and dumped into it.” By around April 16, 1994, he said, only six Tutsi remained alive in the two sectors bordering the river. Surrounded by Lake Mugesera, Lake Sake, and Akagera River, Rukumberi’s geography made escape nearly impossible for those fleeing the killings. At Lake Mugesera, he recounted how many Tutsi families had been forcibly relocated to the area following the 1959 pogroms and left to survive under harsh conditions. “People died because of poverty and diseases such as sleeping sickness caused by tsetse flies,” he said. According to Habimana, anti-Tutsi discrimination gradually evolved into organized persecution. Beginning around 1962 and 1963, lists were drawn up, and people started being killed one by one. The beginning of the RPF liberation struggle in 1990 worsened the situation, with arrests, beatings, and roadblocks becoming increasingly common. By early 1994, preparations for the mass killings had become increasingly evident, including the training of young people to carry out attacks and the spread of genocidal propaganda. After the plane carrying former president Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down on April 6, 1994, soldiers and Interahamwe militia quickly descended on the area. The delegation also learned about the ADEPR church in Rukumberi, where more than 1,800 people who had sought refuge were killed after attackers opened fire, hurled grenades into the building, and later set it ablaze. Ngoma District Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Development Mapambanio Nyiridandi said the most important outcome of the visit was ensuring that the lessons from Rukumberi continue to be shared and preserved. “They have gained a deeper understanding of how the genocide was planned and carried out in Rukumberi. We agreed that they would share these lessons with others,” he said. He urged the group to use what they had learned to continue changing mindsets and help build a Rwanda free from genocide ideology.
