Genocide ideology remains a threat to Rwandans: official

A lot has been achieved in terms of reconstruction of the country, but there remain traces of genocide ideology which, if unchecked, pose a real threat to the unity the country has achieved over the past two decades. This was the massage from Jeanne d’Arc Gakuba, the Senate Vice President in charge of Finance and Adminstration, who was the guest of honour during the activity to mark the 24th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Nyarugenge District. The event took place on Sunday at the district headquarters. Gakuba said more efforts are needed to educate people who still harbour the genocide ideology to ensure no one is left behind in the country’s development journey, adding that such ideology not only affect national unity but also development in general. She said, “Our country has gone through tough times but chose to turn the page and embark on the rebuilding process, chose unity among its people and rejected revenge. We have no better choice than working together in this reconstruction process where every Rwandan’s contribution is valued”. “However, we have a tough task ahead of us to fight genocide ideology which some of us still harbour, which might impede our new chapter of a united nation”, she said. The commemoration event included a Walk to Remember from the venue of commemoration to Nyanza Genocide Memorial, Kicukiro District, where remains of six Genocide victims recovered from Nyarugenge District were laid to rest. Nyanza Genocide Memorial is home to 12,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Kayisime Nzaramba, the Mayor of Nyarugenge, said it is every citizen’s responsibility to fight the genocide ideology, but insisted more focus should be on the youth who are the future of the country, by especially paying adequate attention to social media messages driven by genocide ideologies that could intoxicate the youth. “We need youth’s contribution in the fight against the genocide ideology and be mindful of social media. We cannot delete the past but we can write our own history, free of genocide ideology, and turn our focus on development,” she said. It was also an opportunity for the district administration to honour its former Tutsi employees from the then commumes of Butamwa, Nyamirambo and Nyarugenge who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Nzaramba said the district will continue to closely work with the surviving families of the deceased employees to ensure their welfare is catered for in an effort to fill the void left by their former employees. The district says 15 employees from the three former communes were killed during the Genocide and are laid to rest at Nyanza Genocide Memorial in Kicukiro District. Assia Kagitare, one of the Genocide survivors in Nyarugenge, said; “such activity is important, we are comforted by the fact that we are not on our own during this time when we remember our loved ones”. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Genocide ideology remains a threat to Rwandans: official