The Rwandan Civil Society in 1994 failed to act in efforts to stop or condemn the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.

The accusations were made by Edward Munyamariza, the president of the Rwanda Civil Society Platform (RCSP), during an event to commemorate the Genocide over the weekend.

Addressing the press at Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre at Gisozi after a walk by members of civil society platform, Munyamariza said that the civil society at the time failed to play its role as over one million people were killed.

"We have had lessons from the past. As the civil society today, it is our objective to fight the Genocide and uphold the truth, which our colleagues in the past failed to do,”

"Those who don’t uphold the truth or deliberately deny or minimize the Genocide, have no other intention but to drag the country back into that same mess, something we will not allow to happen,” Munyamariza said.

Munyamariza said that the civil society plays an influential role in the society and therefore has the obligation, through various mechanisms, to fight the Genocide ideology and anything that would want to drag the country into the dark past.

He noted that Genocide deniers are not only Rwandans but also some foreigners, who members of the civil society interact with on a daily basis.

Among other things, he said the civil society platform has played a role in the reconciliation and development process since 1994.

He said that where the civil society failed at the time, the new civil society is ready to make up by playing an integral role in the socio-economic development process.

Members of the Civil Society also visited Ruhango Memorial site in Rusororo, Gasabo District before walking to Gisozi to pay tribute to hundreds of thousands of Genocide victims buried there.

RCSP is made up of 15 organisations.

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