Come February 1, the nation will once again pay homage to the people who demonstrated remarkable bravery and selflessness, even paying the ultimate price for the country's unity and freedom.

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A few days before the nation celebrated its national heroes, The New Times had a guided tour of the main National Heroes Mausoleum in Kigali – where the country’s heroes are laid to rest. Rwanda has three heroes mausoleums; the National Heroes Mausoleum, in Remera, Kigali; Nyange Mausoleum, also dubbed the Heritage of Rwandan Identity, in Ngororero District; and the Heritage of Humanity, formerly Centre St Pierre, in Rubavu District.

At the main heroes mausoleums in the capital Kigali, Nicolas Rwaka, the Director of Research at the Chancellery for Heroes, National Orders and Decorations of Honour (CHENO), explained the purpose of these installations.

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"Heroes are called as such because they exemplified extraordinary values. Therefore, honouring them extends beyond mere remembrance. For Rwandans, it is manifested in the construction of mausoleums dedicated to their everlasting legacy so that, even long after them, there can be a reference of their actions," Rwaka said.

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CHENO, the body responsible for the promotion of a culture of heroism in Rwanda, is charged with preserving heroes mausoleums and other heroism sites throughout the country.

"Mausoleums are important to educate, inspire, and celebrate individuals for their acts of bravery, allowing us to learn from their outstanding achievements," explained Rwaka.

Connect present generation with best parts of Rwanda's history

Asked what impact the national mausoleums made, and precisely, their role in education role as regards the country’s development, Raphael Nkaka, an associate professor of history in the University of Rwanda’s department of history and heritage studies, told The New Times that by honoring heroes and celebrating core Rwandan values, "these mausoleums serve as cultural institutions that connect the present generation with the best parts of Rwanda's history.”

He added: "Heroism, which is one of the pillars of Rwandan development, has been demonstrated on the battlefield to protect and preserve Rwanda's sovereignty and security. In the post-colonial, post-genocide, and post-liberation era, it is even more important to preserve the history of heroes who embodied true Rwandan values of unity and patriotism.

"Visiting these mausoleums, especially by younger generations and foreigners, allows for a journey of remembrance and connection. It provides an opportunity to pay respect to the honored heroes and gain accurate knowledge about Rwanda's history. Moreover, it instills a sense of celebration, pride, and empowerment throughout Rwandan society.”

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In Kigali, the National Heroes Mausoleum, established in 1995, comprises two main parts: the Heroism Museum and the Heroes Mausoleum. It serves as the final resting place for revered figures such as Maj Gen Fred Gisa Rwigema and Agathe Uwiringiyimana.

The mausoleum also houses symbols representing important figures not buried there, including the Unknown Soldier, King Mutara III Rudahigwa, Felicite Niyitegeka, and the brave Nyange students.

Every year, on February 1, the celebrations of National Heroes Day are held at the Mausoleum in Remera.

Nyange Mausoleum

Nyange Mausoleum pays tribute to the courageous students of Nyange Secondary School. Ecole Secondaire de Nyange, nestled in the middle of a mountainous region in Ngororero District, was the scene of a deadly attack by the remnants of genocidal regime’s army and Interahamwe militia on the night of March 18, 1997.

On the fateful night, two years after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, the infiltrators, then known as Abacengezi, attacked senior six and senior five students at the school and mercilessly killed innocent students who refused to separate themselves along the ethnic lines of Hutu and Tutsi.

To preserve this poignant history, CHENO collaborated with the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate (the city of Mainz) to establish an exhibition in Nyange Mausoleum.

The school now serves as a center for promoting human values and fighting against any form of discrimination.

The exhibition tells the story of the violent attack in 1997, highlighting the students' brave response of declaring, "We are all Rwandans", instead of surrendering to divisive classification. In total, 40 students who were in two classrooms,18 in S6 and 22 in S5, that night survived. Later, the survivors and their deceased colleagues were conferred upon the honour of National Heroes (Imena category).

Heritage of Humanity

The Heritage of Humanity stands as a mausoleum dedicated to Sister Felicite Niyitegeka, a Rwandan Roman Catholic nun who served at Centre Saint Pierre in Gisenyi (now Rubavu) town.

During the 1994 Genocide, Niyitegeka, the then head of the charitable home run by Nyundo Catholic Diocese in the region, was aware of the risks of standing up to the marauding killers – backed by the government of the time but she firmly believed that, according to people who knew her, believed that if she was able to save even a single life, then it was her duty to do so.

Niyitegeka, now a national heroine under the Imena category, was killed on April 21, 1994 while trying to save the Tutsi who sought asylum at the centre.

She was honored for her dedication to protecting the people who sought refuge at Centre Saint Pierre during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. She went to great lengths to save the Tutsi in her care, assisting them to secretly cross the border to Zaire (now DR Congo), often under the cover of darkness.

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Despite receiving warnings from her brother, Col Alphonse Nzungize, urging her to leave them so as to prevent her own demise at the hands of Interahamwe militia, Sister Niyitegeka refused to abandon the people she was hiding and protecting at the centre. She made the selfless choice to remain by their side and ultimately perished with them when the militias arrived and killed them. Before the militia attack, she had sheltered over 45 Tutsi in her home.

"The mausoleums hold great significance as they inspire and challenge us to think differently. They foster a sense of community identity, offering spaces for reflection and learning, allowing us to connect with the individuals who sacrificed their lives for the values we hold in such high regard," said Rwaka.

These sacred sites, Rwaka said, serve as reminders of the country's dark history, and play a vital role in uniting Rwandans with a shared sense of identity and purpose.

On how the mausoleums foster unity among Rwandans, Nkaka, who is also a Board member of CHENO, first emphasized that "mausoleums represent the heroes who have stood for Rwanda's dignity, unity, and prosperity, often making the ultimate sacrifice.”

He added: "By remembering these heroes and their cause, the mausoleums serve as a reminder of what they fought for – the unity of all Rwandans. Forgetting them would mean forgetting the values they upheld and the collective goal of unity that they strived for.”