RULINDO - Genocide survivors studying at various institutions of higher learning have been urged to be more courageous in order to avoid being overcome by trauma and to prepare for a brighter  future.

The call was made on Saturday at Tumba College of Technology (TCT) by the Northern Province governor, Aime Bosenibamwe, during a night vigil organised by students’ survivors from various universities who are grouped under Rwanda Students’ Genocide Survivors (AERG).

"Commemoration is the only way to fight the negative effects left behind by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,” said Bosenibamwe.

The Governor urged the students not to despair, saying the government is committed to prepare a bright future for them.

"Government is committed to support genocide survivors through providing them with shelter, education and other essential social amenities,” he added.

The Mayor of Rulindo district, Justus Kangwaje, called on the students to be optimistic, adding that genocide and its ideology has no place in Rwanda  again. 

"Majority of the perpetrators of the genocide have been brought to book, as the entire world is committed to apprehending and punish all the culprits,” said Kangwaje.

Kangwaje noted that the genocide perpetrators were driven by greed and selfish interests but, "They shall be held accountable for their inhuman actions.”

The principal of Tumba College of Technology Eng. Pascal Gatabazi said, "Commemoration is our responsibility, to avoid the re-occurrence of genocide in Rwanda.”

On his part, the AERG chairman, Vincent Twizeyimana, said the commemoration has drastically reduced the number of trauma cases and genocide ideology in schools. He hailed then Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) soldiers for stopping the genocide.

"Many of us are here at the moment because of the role the RPA soldiers played to stop Interahamwe militias from butchering more innocent lives,” he said.

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