Every year, during the commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, communities, and groups hold memorial walks, commonly known as 'Walk to Remember', to honor the one million victims killed in the genocide. However, these walks have a much bigger significance beyond just honoring the victims. By coming together and walking, people can overcome the despondency that grief can cause and continue to remember and rebuild themselves. After a three-year suspension of memorial walk events and other commemoration events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual events resumed also the national walk to remember will be held during the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, next year. ALSO READ: Kwibuka is a period of reflection and comforting survivors, says The Ben However, different groups have organised memorial walk events in honor of remembering the genocide victims, using roadside walks and single lanes instead of blocking general circulation, as it used to be. The Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Jean-Damascène Bizimana, recently stated during a press conference that memorial walks will not affect general movement, only sidewalks will be used for circulation to carry on as usual. When planning a memorial walk, a letter is sent to the security and health authorities at least five days in advance to ensure that the walks do not obstruct general circulation or movement. ALSO READ: All set for ‘Walk to Remember’ Moreover, memorial walks serve as a platform to educate the youth about the genocide, using knowledge as a means for prevention, and to commemorate the over one million Tutsi killed during the Genocide. Participants in memorial walks may choose to walk the same path as the victims who were forced to walk long distances during the Genocide before they would be killed. This serves to reflect on the pain the victims endured during the genocide. For example, Tutsi were forced by Interahamwe to walk from Sonatube roundabout in Kicukiro District to Nyanza hill where they would be killed. ALSO READ: Rwandan youth in Diaspora urged to replicate ‘Walk to Remember’ By walking in the footsteps of the victims, participants in the memorial walks honor their memory and understand their experiences on a deeper level. Memorial walks not only honor the memory of the victims of genocide but also serve as a platform to educate the youth about the atrocities that marked the Genocide against the Tutsi and how to prevent them in the future. By walking together, people can heal and rebuild themselves while remembering the past.
