Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has announced that it is making inquiries in the Gashonga sector, Rusizi District after Genocide victims’ remains were uncovered around the Mibilizi Catholic Church parish. RIB spokesperson, Thierry Murangira, told The New Times the investigation aims to detect if there is a crime of withholding information regarding victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Remains of over 900 Genocide victims discovered at Mibilizi parish The first remains were discovered at the end of March when residents were working to construct terraces across 16 hectares under the support of the Commercialisation and De-Risking for Agricultural Transformation Project. As of Sunday, 930 Genocide victims had been discovered, 29 years later. “We haven’t yet arrested any suspects but investigations are ongoing,” Murangira said. Today’s estimates indicate that those who perished at Mibilizi might be more than 10,000. More than 13,000 victims are buried at a memorial site that was constructed outside the church. Last week, RIB also announced it was investigating 10 suspects from two sectors in Kamonyi District on charges of disposing of or degrading evidence or information relating to victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Five suspects were arrested on Tuesday, April 25, from the Mugina sector, while another five have been in custody since April 22. ALSO READ: 10 arrested on suspicion of withholding information on Genocide victims. The suspects were apprehended for refusing to provide information regarding the remains of 12 Genocide victims discovered in the Mugina and Nyamiyaga sectors. Concealing information about genocide remains a crime according to Law n° 59/2018 of 22/8/2018 on the Crime of Genocide Ideology and Related Crimes. Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10, prohibit any actions that are aimed at denying, undermining, or trivialising the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Any person who commits the said offence, upon conviction, is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not more than seven years, with a fine of not less than Rwf500, 000 and not more than Rwf1,000,000.
