The National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA), together with partners held a night vigil on Thursday May 12, 2022 to honour former Institut de Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (IRST) employees who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

NIRDA took over from IRST as part of the restructuring of public institutions.

The night vigil was  part  of a commemoration event that that took place on Friday  in Huye district where mourners  did a walk to remember towards the University of Rwanda memorial site, where over 400 genocide victims including 20 former IRST employees are buried.

The management and staff of NIRDA and partners learnt and understood genocide history, and also heard from survivors’ testimonies.

Donatille Mbayire, a resident of Cyarwa cell, Tumba sector, who is a genocide survivor, recounted the genocide atrocities testifying that 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi had been planned through sowing genocide ideology and divisionism.

The event was organized  to honour former Institut de Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (IRST) employees who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

"We used to face segregation while admitting new students. We were harassed and tortured as Tutsi. I was wounded several times and I still have injuries,” she testified, saying that during the genocide, she survived many attacks.

"I almost died several times. I was arrested while fleeing and was asked to pay Rwf500 to be spared, but they still hit me several times on my head and I became unconscious. I luckily survived, when we were left to die,” she narrated.

Mbayire said that she was lying among the dead when the militia were trying to kill those who were not yet dead.

"They told us lies that those who were still alive would be taken to hospital for treatment. I asked for some water and it is this time when they realised that I was alive. They then hit me with a machete on my head. Hours later, they came back again and one of them realised that I was still breathing. They stabbed me with a sword on the belly,” she recounted.

Dr. Christian Sekomo Birame, the Director-General of NIRDA, said the commemoration event was a time to remember the gruesome tragedy that marked the Genocide, and urged participants to reflect on that while doing all they can to fill the void left by those who lost their lives.

The management and staff of NIRDA and partners during a Walk to Remember the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi at University of Rwanda Memorial site in Huye District. Courtesy

"The tragic history Rwanda went through is beyond understanding. As we commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi victims, we commend RPA that stopped genocide and liberated our country.

We are now peaceful but we are in the struggle of fighting genocide denial and genocide ideology which is another battle that requires more efforts,” he said.

According to different researchers, ethnics were promoted by colonialists which led to 1994 genocide against the Tutsi that killed over one million Tutsi in only 100 days.

"We need to strive for a peaceful country and its future by fighting against genocide ideology. As NIRDA staff, we have a responsibility to work hard for the national development to fill gaps left behind by those who were killed in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi,” he noted.

He added, "We need to put in more efforts to fight those denying and trivializing 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, be it those in the country and abroad. We have international laws that punish genocide and its ideology, genocide is a crime that does not expire, let us fight for the better of the country and ensure that genocide denial and genocide ideology are uprooted.”

Birame urged genocide survivors to always strive for the better, work hard to become resilient.

"We all need to work hard for the better of our country, promote peace and unity for the country we wish for,” he said.

During the commemoration event, NIRDA also supported Eric Mwambari, a genocide orphan whose father was an employee for IRST. NIRDA provided him with financial support to start a business.