A total of 526 inmates convicted of crimes related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi have begun a training programme designed to prepare them for reintegration into their families and communities after completing their sentences.

The 10th cohort of the programme was launched in Nyamasheke District on Monday, October 5, with the inmates expected to complete their sentences within the next two months.

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The programme is jointly organised by the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) and other partners.

Marie Alice Kayumba Uwera, Executive Director in Charge of National Unity and Community Resilience at MINUBUMWE, said the training is intended to help former inmates return to society without becoming a source of division or other threats to national unity.

"This is the 10th cohort of training aimed at helping them return to normal life, avoid becoming a source of anything that could undermine the unity and resilience of Rwandans, and contribute to strengthening it,” she said.

The training covers Rwanda&039;s history, the consequences of the Genocide against the Tutsi, the role of former inmates in their families and communities, and the need to reject discrimination, divisionism and genocide ideology.

According to MINUBUMWE, more than 120,000 people were initially imprisoned for crimes related to the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Some have since completed their sentences and returned to their communities. Figures from RCS indicate that since 2018, more than 1,000 inmates have completed their sentences and returned to society every year.

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However, Kayumba said returning home can present challenges, including broken family relationships, loss of trust, isolation, poverty, family disputes and the psychological burden associated with crimes committed during the Genocide.

She said some former inmates also struggle to participate in community programmes because of shame, suspicion or fear of being rejected.

"The preparation of those completing their sentences must also go together with preparing the families and communities where they will continue their lives,” she said.

Nyamasheke prepares to welcome Genocide convicts returning to communities

Nyamasheke Mayor Narcisse Mupenzi told the inmates that their return should be viewed as a new opportunity to rebuild relationships and contribute to their communities.

He said local authorities have a responsibility to implement government policies beyond the correctional facility, including supporting people as they return to their communities.

"This programme does not end here at the correctional facility. It continues when you return home,” Mupenzi said.

He urged the inmates not to isolate themselves after returning home, saying they would be expected to participate in community activities and access public services like other citizens.

"You are coming so that together we can continue making the new choices aimed at building our country,” he said.

Mupenzi said local authorities were prepared to receive the former inmates and help them reintegrate.

"We are ready to welcome you. You will participate in community assemblies and you will have access to all services,” he said.

‘We do not want you back here’

DCG Theos Badege, Deputy Commissioner General of RCS, urged the inmates to take the training seriously and use the skills they have acquired while in prison to build new lives.

He said rehabilitation begins from the time inmates enter correctional facilities, where they are counselled and prepared for their eventual return to society.

"We ask those receiving these trainings to listen carefully and take what you learn as provisions that will help you when you return to the community,” Badege said.

He also warned them against returning to criminal behaviour or embracing genocide ideology.

"Those who have rights also have responsibilities. We do not want to see your names again in our records here at the correctional facility,” he said.

Badege urged them to demonstrate through their actions that they had changed.

"Prepare yourselves to contribute more so that people can see that you have changed. Distance yourselves from anything that could lead you back to prison,” he said.

He also called on them to speak out if they encounter genocide ideology or other wrongdoing in their communities.

Learning from the past

Part of the training focuses on the history of how Rwandan unity was undermined and how genocide ideology developed before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

A MINUBUMWE researcher, Faustin Mafeza told the participants that Rwandans historically shared a language, culture, territory and traditions that promoted unity, but that colonial policies and later political leadership contributed to the spread of division.

The researcher also discussed the role of propaganda, political mobilisation and armed groups in the preparation and implementation of the Genocide.

Participants were urged to understand the consequences of genocide ideology and reject language and narratives that minimise or deny the Genocide.

Kayumba said the training should ultimately help participants take responsibility for their future and contribute positively to their families and communities.

She urged those preparing to leave prison to rebuild their lives around "the principle of Rwandan identity,” live peacefully with their families, neighbours and survivors, and avoid discrimination and genocide ideology.

She also encouraged them to tell the truth about crimes committed during the Genocide, seek forgiveness where appropriate and provide information about the whereabouts of victims' remains that have not yet received a dignified burial.

MINUBUMWE said it will continue working with civil society and faith-based organisations to support former inmates after their release, including helping them join groups focused on healing, unity and resilience.

The ministry also plans to support community activities that bring together former inmates, their families, neighbours and survivors to promote peaceful coexistence and socio-economic development.