Hundreds of area residents, district officials, lawmakers, security agencies, survivors, and victims’ families, gathered at Mwulire Genocide Memorial in Mwulire Sector, Rwamagana District, on Thursday, April 18, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Mwulire Sector in Rwamagana District is one of the areas where hundreds of the Tutsi fleeing from killers in regions such as the former Bicumbi Commune initially sought refuge, at the height of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. On April 18, 1994, they were overpowered when Interahamwe were reinforced by the then presidential guard brigade and other government troops. Available records indicate that more than 15,000 people from Mwulire and the environs were gathered on Gisanza hill and killed on this day.

During Thursday’s commemoration ceremony, the bodies of 128 victims of the Genocide were given a dignified burial. They included 18 victims earlier found in Mwulire Sector and other bodies that were moved to Mwulire Genocide Memorial from other memorial sites in Rwamagana.

Radjab Mbonyumuvunyi, the Mayor of Rwamagana District, spoke about the involvement of former district officials including Laurent Semanza, the former bourgmestre of Bicumbi Commune, now Rwamagana District, in the ruthless killing of numerous victims in the area during the genocide.

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Mbonyumuvunyi noted that the local leaders’ direct involvement in the genocide was the reason why there are 11 genocide memorials in the district where 83,925 victims are buried.

Mwulire Sector was one of the areas where Tutsi fleeing from killers in areas like the former Bicumbi Commune initially sought safety. It later became a massacre site where many lost their lives during the Genocide. The Tutsi were hunted and killed in various parts of Bicumbi, as well as in other areas of Rwamagana and beyond. Residents of Mwulire and many others who had sought refuge fought bravely against the government-backed militia, Interahamwe, and soldiers using traditional weapons. Unfortunately, on April 18, they were outnumbered and defeated.

"We gathered here today to honour and remember the victims of the Genocide, 128 of whom will get a dignified burial at the Mwulire Memorial Site,” Mbonyumuvunyi said on Thursday, expressing gratitude to RPF-Inkotanyi for stopping the Genocide against the Tutsi.

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MP Odette Uwamariya reflected on the bad politics that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She underscored the importance of commemorating, noting that: "Remembrance is an oath we have made, as Rwandans, to keep in mind the history that marked our country, but also strive to build the future by protecting and preventing discrimination of any kind.”

Theoneste Muzungu, a representative of the survivors of the massacres in Mwulire, emphasised that people should come out and voluntarily share information on the whereabouts of genocide victims’ bodies.

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Philbert Gakwenzire, the president of Ibuka, the umbrella organisation for Genocide survivors’ associations, also expressed his gratitude to RPF-Inkotanyi for rescuing the nation from the dark.

He said: "Today, we would not be celebrating, building our nation, thinking back on where we have come from, examining how far we have gone, and making wise decisions for the future, if it were not for the unwavering courage of RPF-Inkotanyi.”

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The president of Ibuka urged foreign governments harbouring perpetrators of the Genocide to send them to Rwanda for trial, or facilitate their prosecution in the countries where they currently reside. He also stressed that the people spreading genocide ideology must be held responsible.

Pudence Rubingisa, the Governor of Eastern Province, thanked the survivors of the Genocide for sharing their testimonies.

"For survivors of the Genocide, these stories are not merely tales recounted; it is the dark history they endured,” he said, emphasising the significance of survivors’ testimonies as they not only serve as reminders of the horror they endured but also stand as courageous narratives, affirming that while the Genocide indeed occurred, it was ultimately stopped by the bravery and sacrifice of the RPF-Inkotanyi.

"To those who survived here at Mwulire, we thank you for the courage you showed in defending yourselves against the killers. It is your unity and your bravery that led to your survival and the Rwandan dignity that we speak of today.”