Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR Plc), last week unveiled a monument of the Genocide against the Tutsi, which has been set up at the bank's headquarters in the Central Business District.

The monument was unveiled at the event to commemorate for the 27th time, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in which over a million people were killed.

The monument is in honour of the 33 employees at the bank who were killed during the Genocide.

The event was also marked by testimonies including one by Donat Nyirinkindi, an employee at the bank who survived the Genocide.

He gave an account of how the genocide was planned and executed, saying that it was a culmination of a plan that had been in the works for decades.

Hailing from the current Kamonyi district, Nyirinkindi said he was six years old in 1973 when he began to experience persecution against the Tutsi, including discrimination in school.

"When I was grazing calves, I saw a group of people coming from a place we used to call ‘Mu Marangara’. My father was tilling land nearby. It was raining heavily the mob asked my father to present his identity card,” he narrated.

After identifying that his father was Tutsi, he said, they took a hoe from him and hit him on the back. He collapsed into unconsciousness.

"They forced me to show them our home which they burnt. They also killed our cows and shared the meat amongst themselves. This shows that the ground for the 1994 Genocide was prepared years before."

French military role

Meanwhile, Nyirinkindi said that years later, when he worked as a manager of a guest house in Kibuye, the current Karongi District, he came face to face with the French military.

In 1991, about 150 French military personnel would come to the guest house and nearby beach on Lake Kivu every weekend, he said.

Nyirinkindi who managed 19 employees said that one time, a French soldier asked him why he was employing Tutsi.

"I asked him how he knew they were Tutsi and he said that it was easy. He called one Tutsi employee and asked him to present his identity card. Then he told me: "if our president dies one day, you will no longer see all those’.

I asked him which president he was talking about and he answered me: "Whom do you think I'm fighting for in this battle? Is it Mitterand or Habyarimana? You will see us one day.’”

In 1993, Nyirinkindi got married and when the Genocide started, he was living in Kigali, where he worked as a treasurer for the Presbyterian Church.

When genocide started he was part of many Tutsi who fled out of Kigali fleeing.

"Interahamwe militia killed many Tutsi. We managed to reach a school in Remera-Rukoma and hid there. It was already around April 20. At this school, one military officer came, took my three-month baby and smashed her on the ground. She miraculously survived.”

They were later rescued by RPA-Inkotanyi in Rugobagoba, in Kamonyi district, his birthplace.

Genocide scars

However, Nyirinkindi, who now works for BPR Plc testified that his son who is now 27 years old, is still suffering from the scars of Genocide.

He started getting sickly when he was about four years old. He would have a lot of pain on both her legs and all medical check-ups yielded nothing,” he said.

"It wasn’t until he went to China where doctors discovered that the issue emanated from his back, where the intervertebral discs, and sciatic nerves and other parts were damaged a long time ago.”

As it was established, he got this injury when the Ex-FAR officer smashed him on the ground as a three-month only baby,” he said.

BPR lauded for preserving genocide facts

Gaston Ntabana, who spoke on behalf of families whose loved ones are former BPR employees killed in the Genocide lauded the bank for establishing the monument where names of their loved ones are engraved, saying it gives them honour.

"On behalf of families who lost their loves ones, I commend the efforts of the bank to preserve genocide facts. On the monument, there are names of my sister, brother-in-law and friends who worked for BPR. It is a great achievement of remembrance,” he said.

Xavier Mugisha Shema, the Chief Business Officer at BPR  who spoke on behalf of  BPR management said the monument is the symbol of hope for victims’ families and all Rwandans.

He reiterated that testimonies such as the one for Nyirinkindi should strengthen genocide victims’ resilience and should inspire youth to build peaceful and prosperous country.

"We will continue to fight genocide denial and ideology, striving for peaceful and reconciled country,” he added.

Speaking at the event, Honore Gatera, the Director of the Kigali Genocide Memorial said that the step by BPR to set up the monument is a contribution to documenting facts on the Genocide, adding that this was a key weapon in fighting genocide denial.

Brave Olivier Ngabo,  who represented  IBUKA, a genocide survivors’ umbrella ,  at the event,  added that genocide victims’ resilience is sourced from remembrance including testimonies about 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

"The monument helps to tell the lost loved ones "Ntukazime Nararokotse” (You will never be forgotten, I survived). BPR has other interventions in supporting survivors, rehabilitating memorial sites and other laudable activities,” he noted.

He urged youth and Rwandans in general to use social media to fight genocide denial that is being spread via internet.

Some of the employees at BPR during the commemoration.

Different speakers spoke of the need to continue fighting genocide denial.