EASTERN PROVINCE

NGOMA — Thousands of students from the Université D’ Agriculture, De Technologie Et D’Education De Kibungo (UNATEK) commonly known as Kibungo University converged at Kibungo parish for a memorial mass to pay respect to the victims of the 1994 Genocide.

The memorial service was over the weekend.

The students appealed to God to rest the souls of the victims in eternal peace and protect Genocide survivors. They also asked God to fill the survivor’s health with His grace ‘in the absence of their beloved ones.’

The mass was followed by a procession to Kibungo memorial site where they laid a wreath onto a grave containing remains of about 16,000 victims of the genocide. They later converged at the university compass where they spent a vigil night.

At the campass, they were joined by their counterparts from Kigali Health Institute, Kigali Independent University (ULK) and others from Université d’ Adventiste de Centre Afrique Mudende. The students belong to an association of genocide survivor students known by its French acronym as AERG.

Addressing the students, MP Charles Kamanda urged them to adopt parental role so that they can help their young ones.

He observed that survivors are heroes. "You, who survived are heroes and you should always remain heroes," he said.

Kamanda who reportedly represented the President of Ibuka at the function, called on local leaders to be close to the students most especially the survivors in order to inspire them to succeed in their education.

The law maker said the day coincided with the day he was saved from the hands of Interahamwe by RPA now RDF forces. He castigated genocide revisionists in the world, saying Rwandans will always protest their ideology.

"Our soldiers are not killers. Without them we would not be here now. We will not hesitate to demonstrate against such people who have Genocide Ideology thinking," he said.

"If you don’t fulfill your duty then you have failed your work," he added. He stressed that the UN mission failed its work of stopping the genocide.

"They too have a debt to pay for not stopping the killing of over a million people. And on top of that they packed up their luggage leaving behind people crying for help."

Ends