Nyange and Rebero Genocide memorial sites, located in Ngororero and Kicukiro districts, respectively, that have been under the supervision of districts, have been upgraded to the national level.

This was revealed Monday by the Minister for Sports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu, during a post-Cabinet news conference. She said the ministry had requested the upgrading and was approved by Cabinet meeting last week.

The upgrading of the two sites brings the number of national memorial sites to eight. Others are Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, Murambi, Nyamata, Ntarama, Bisesero and Nyarubuye.

The minister said the upgrading resolution is in accordance with law No 15/2016 of 02/05/2016 governing ceremonies to commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsi, organisation and management of memorial sites.

Some are upgraded to the national level because of particularity of the history of the Genocide in that area.

Uwacu said Nyange was an area where a church leader ordered Interahamwe to kill Tutsi taking refuge in the church.

"The particularity of Nyange Genocide memorial in Ngororero District is that Tutsi fled to the Catholic Church and tried to resist the attacks. And when it was realised that it was not easy to reach them, Father Athanase Seromba, the Vicar, ordered Interahamwe militia to raze the church (with a bulldozer) which collapsed on the refugees,” she explained. The remains of over 3,000 people killed at the church were interred at Nyange memorial site.

Seromba was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and is serving a life sentence in Benin.

Rebero memorial site

The minister said Rebero Genocide memorial site is the resting place of politicians who opposed the Genocide. "This memorial site reminds us how politicians can choose to be bad or good leaders. Very few politicians accepted to sacrifice their lives trying to oppose the Genocide and its ideology,” she said.

"We are in the process of refining requirements on four national memorial centres namely; Kigali memorial, Murambi, Bisesero and Nyamata to increase their chances of being classified as UNESCO world heritage sites after the next assessment in February next year,” she revealed.

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