WESTERN PROVINCE

RUTSIRO — Remains of about 254 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi were last Sunday given a decent burial in Boneza Sector Rutsiro District.

All the remains were retrieved from the former Kivume commune, one of the places where thousands of Tutsi were killed during the Genocide.

The ceremony was preceded by a requiem mass led by leaders of different religious denominations while reaffirming the never again vow.

Eric Senderi, a local artiste and survivor from the same area led the dirges. He also used the same occasion to launch his song on Genocide.

In their message, the men of God admitted to the church’s failure to stop the Genocide and expressed remorse over the massacres. They also prayed for  God to transform people’s hearts to avoid nursing grudges.

In their testimonies, different survivors at the burial noted that more remains were still buried in trenches and latrines yet to be discovered.

Senator Odette Nyiramirimo, also an area survivor in her testimony, gave a brief account of how the Genocide started way back in 1959, also stressing that remains of more victims are still missing.

"I want to tell you that killings in this area started far back in 1959. You can imagine we are burying remains of only 254 victims yet over 400 Tutsi were killed. This shows that the truth about where our relatives were dumped has been concealed,” the Senator said.

She appealed to residents to volunteer information leading to the discovery of remains of more Genocide victims so as to accord them a befitting burial.

"We even requested you to secretly put signs of trees where you know our relatives are dumped. But it is still shocking that there are people who go and distort those signs to deny the genocide,” she added.

Other mourners who included the Western Province Governor, Celestin Kabahizi appealed to residents to always speak the truth which he said is a cornerstone to reconciliation drives in the country.

Before the burial, mourners pledged Rwf447, 255 and US $6 towards sheltering survivors.     

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