Genocide memorials in Rwamagana district are set to be reduced from 11 to six after merging, The New Times has learned.
Radjab Mbonyumuvunyi, the Mayor of Rwamagana district said that at least Rwf1.8 billion is needed to construct a genocide memorial in which genocide victims' bodies from other memorials will be relocated.
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The consolidation was settled upon because the previous memorials were not up to standard and therefore not well preserved as some were not roofed while others were being affected by rainwater.
The new memorial site will be constructed in three phases, he said.
"We need merged memorial sites that are well constructed and preserved,” he said.
Mbonyumuvunyi said the district will soon sign an agreement with the Rwanda Defence Force reserve unit to start construction.
"After one year, commemoration might take place at the new memorial site in Mwulire,” he said.
The memorial site will have two mass graves, a section with genocide history where photos and names will be displayed, and genocide facts such as clothes of victims and weapons that were used to kill Tutsi who had sought refuge on Mwulire hill.
The memorial site will also have a hall to be used in teaching about genocide history.Thousands of Tutsi who had fled to Mwulire Hill tried to resist the Interahamwe militia for two weeks.
However, on April 18, 1994, the military joined Interahamwe militia and used grenades and guns to kill Tutsi.
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The genocide memorials consolidation in Rwamagana district , is one of the hundreds of genocide memorials to be consolidated across the country according to the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement.
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The Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Jean Damascene Bizimana, said that the memorial sites are divided into three categories-those at national level, district level, and international level.
He said that the consolidation of some genocide memorials is part of implementing the Presidential Order of May 2019 determining modalities of consolidation of genocide memorial sites for the Genocide against the Tutsi.
"The move aims to preserve the memorial sites in a sustainable way. We have worked with all districts to allocate sites in every district where memorials can be merged. Every district knows the number of memorials to be relocated for consolidation and those that must remain as they were. Every district is supposed to mobilize funds for the implementation,” he said.
The memorial site must have enough space to preserve genocide history, a memorial garden among others.
Recent figures show that there are 172 genocide memorial sites and 53 mass graves in the country.
These figures imply that progress was made in reducing the number of genocide memorial sites because the census that was made in 2015 indicated that there were 234 genocide memorial sites and 115 graves.
Advocates for genocide survivors speak out
Godeliève Mukasarasi, the founder of SEVOTA, an organization that seeks to help widows and orphans of Genocide plus victims of rape as well as children born out of it, commended the merge of Genocide memorials adding that it should be done based on history, and the number of victims buried at the sites.
"The merge will contribute to their effective preservation because some memorial sites were not in a good state. But, for this to be done, it requires those who have their loved ones buried there to understand that move. The exercise must be carried out without affecting the victims’ resilience,” she said.
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However, she suggested that symbols must be put up at the sites in question, in case bodies are relocated.
She also said reducing the number of genocide memorials will ensure well-skilled workers and volunteers are available to cater for the memorials, visitors and researchers.
"The merged memorials must also have genocide books and memorial gardens that can help both youth and adults to learn about the genocide. The memorial sites must be at national and international level to ensure never again genocide all over the world by preventing genocide ideology and fighting genocide denial,” she noted.
What Ibuka says
Philbert Gakwenzire, President of Ibuka, the umbrella for Genocide survivors, said that the maintenance of a big number of genocide memorials was difficult considering the limited resources of the country.
However, he said the sites that used to have genocide memorial sites must have symbols to ensure the genocide history of that specific areas is not forgotten.
"Ibuka endorsed the decision to merge some genocide memorial sites and we presented our recommendations. During the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, bodies were dumped at different places and therefore there were so many memorial sites.
Although memorials have to be merged, all trajectories of genocide tragedy must have symbols in different places. That is why as the government seeks to merge genocide memorials, documentation of the victim’s trajectory must be considered to be able to set up symbols and maps of genocide in different sites in addition to fixed merged memorials,” he said.