The location of the Campaign Against Genocide Museum inside the Parliamentary Building, formerly known as Centre National de Developpement (CND), is deeply symbolic. ALSO READ: How RPA deployed 600 soldiers in the heart of Kigali against all odds During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the site served as the base of a 600-strong Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) battalion that launched rescue operations while protecting Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) political leaders stationed there under the Arusha Peace Accords. ALSO READ: How Kagame masterminded RPA’s decisive campaign against Genocide within hours The RPF political leadership, housed at the CND complex, which included a hotel wing, was expected to join a broad-based transitional government and National Assembly under the peace agreement signed between the RPF and the government of Juvénal Habyarimana. ALSO READ: Habyarimana's role in planning, implementing 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi According to Médard Bashana, the Manager of the Campaign Against Genocide Museum, the Arusha Peace Agreement established key protocols to guide Rwanda's political transition, including power-sharing, the rule of law, refugee repatriation, and the creation of a unified national army. ALSO READ: How Habyarimana regime sabotaged peace accords “All these protocols were signed on August 4, 1993. So, the politicians and the 600-man battalion were here to implement them. That’s why the museum is located in this Parliamentary Building,” he says. The peace agreement, however, quickly collapsed. On April 6, 1994, Habyarimana’s plane was shot down. The following day, the Genocide against the Tutsi began. The museum is divided into internal and external sections. The internal exhibition consists of 11 rooms that guide visitors through the historical trajectory leading up to, during, and after the genocide. The first three rooms focus on the political developments that preceded the genocide, including the peace process, its breakdown, and the events that led to the outbreak of violence. “These three rooms lay the foundation for understanding why, on April 7, 1994, at around 3 p.m., Paul Kagame, then Chairman of the RPA High Command based at the RPA headquarters in Mulindi, issued a clear and decisive order: stop the genocide, defeat the genocidal forces, and rescue the victims of the genocide.” According to Bashana, it was this directive that defined the broader military objective of the campaign. “This order specifically established a strategic end state: to stop the genocide, overthrow the genocidal government, and restore peace throughout the country,” Bashana explains. Rescue operations and the conduct of RPA soldiers A central theme of the museum is the conduct of RPA soldiers during the liberation war and as they moved in to stop the genocide, particularly their dual responsibility of fighting armed forces while simultaneously rescuing civilians under attack. “The protection force was then ordered to break out from its initial positions with three key tasks: first, to contain the advancing genocidal forces and militias targeting the building; second, to rescue victims of the genocide in the surrounding areas; and third, to hold their ground and protect the politicians who were present,” Bashana says. The 600-man battalion was ordered to confront between 8,000 and 12,000 enemy soldiers across heavily fortified positions, including Camp Kigali and Camp Kanombe, as Kigali was effectively surrounded by forces positioned on the surrounding hills. At the same time, they had to conduct rescue operations, provide first aid to victims, and move them from danger zones to safer areas. Patriotism and the burden of survival Bashana argues that patriotism, shaped by years of exile and hardship, was central to the endurance of RPA soldiers whose experiences as refugees strengthened their determination during the liberation struggle. “Each battle, each order... only made them more determined because they believed this was the final step toward achieving what they had long dreamed of.” Leadership, he adds, played a decisive role in sustaining morale and purpose under extreme conditions. “What Kagame did was instill this spirit and sense of patriotism at the highest level, to the extent that they felt they were fighting for the people and for the country,” Bashana says, explaining that soldiers could not prioritise personal attachments, even when members of their own families were at risk. “Every targeted victim of the genocide was equal to another. It wasn’t about saving my mother or your uncle; it was about saving the targeted victims of the genocide.” Bashana describes the difficulty of rescue missions behind enemy lines, where soldiers entered churches, schools, and cathedrals, often encountering survivors who were fearful, confused, and traumatised while operating under constant threat. He adds that rescue operations required the creation of safe corridors to evacuate civilians while maintaining pressure on hostile forces. Many soldiers had lost their own families but remained bound by orders not to seek revenge. Despite these challenges, he says, patriotism and discipline helped transform devastation into reconstruction. “Had it not been for this sense of patriotism, it would have been difficult for them to liberate this country and stop the genocide.” The museum as a national lesson According to Bashana, the museum now receives more than 120,000 visitors annually, a significant proportion of whom are young people. This makes it a key institution for preserving collective memory and preventing historical distortion and genocide denial. “That means this museum is a cornerstone in helping younger generations understand their history so that what happened should never happen again. Secondly, you have seen those who deny the genocide through hate speech. Museums like this present facts to the world, making it easier to respond to those who deny what happened after they walk through here. It ultimately serves as a pillar of significance in the liberation of our country,” he adds. Leadership, youth, and rebuilding Bashana says patriotism today is expressed differently—not through armed struggle, but through leadership, innovation, and national development. He emphasises leadership as the foundation that connects past sacrifice to present progress. “It starts with leadership. When leadership is strong, focused, visionary, protective of its people, and resilient.” He also points to Rwanda’s shift from physical liberation to intellectual and technological advancement. “The RPA boys and girls achieved it on foot. Today, you don't need to walk; you just need coordinates. Everything you touch is becoming digital.” For him, Rwanda’s development path remains anchored in the same principles that guided the liberation struggle: “Vision, protection, and resilience.”
