Search for remains of Genocide victims still on - Ibuka

Members of the umbrella of Genocide survivors associations, Ibuka, in Nyabihu District have called for new efforts to find remains of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in the area in order to give them a befitting burial. Speaking at the closure of the commemoration week on Monday, the survivors appealed to Genocide perpetrators and former local leaders to volunteer information on where remains of victims were dumped. Anastase Juru, the president of Ibuka in the district, said it is painful to find that remains of some victims are yet to be traced 21 years after the Genocide. Nyabihu is one of the areas where the Genocide was first tried in 1990s, especially in Bigogwe area where most of people known as Abagogwe were killed and their bodies dumped in various parts of the district. Juru said while it is hard to identify people who were killed before 1994, the whereabouts of remains of around 1,400 victims killed in 1994 are still missing despite several efforts. “We have always asked people who played a role in killing our beloved relatives to reveal the whereabouts of their remains for decent burial. There are sites where they were killed such as schools, churches but we fail to locate the exact spots,” Juru said. “We cannot bring back lives of the deceased but we get relieved at least when we accord them decent burial. We know our families were killed in their respective areas and we have no doubt the residents who were their neighbours and former local leaders know exactly where they were dumped; they are the ones to help us,” he added. Remains of 21 victims were accorded decent burial at Mukamira memorial site on Monday. Athanase Nsengiyumva, another survivor, said while he has managed to accord decent burial to some of his family members and friends, a number of them are yet to be located. “We are yet to get all of our relatives’ remains who perished in the Genocide because the sources of information have remained silent. Local leaders have to play a role to convince them so they avail information and we get remains of our relatives and accord them decent bural,” said Nsengiyumva. The issue of the whereabouts of Genocide victims has remained a major concern nationwide with government officials’ calling on any Rwandan with information leading to identifications of whereabouts victims were dumped to help. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Search for remains of Genocide victims still on - Ibuka