Survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi emphasise that knowing the whereabouts of genocide victims’ bodies is integral to healing trauma. However, perpetrators of the genocide and certain community members continue to conceal this crucial information. ALSO READ: Over 18,000 victims exhumed in Kigali mass graves The concern over the missing bodies resurfaced as various districts across Rwanda paid tribute to genocide victims interred in mass graves throughout the country as part of the 30th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. On Sunday, April 7, as part of the commemoration, officials from Nyamagabe District, along with genocide survivors, community members, and stakeholders, laid wreaths at Mwogo River and Musange Genocide Memorial. Musange Genocide Memorial serves as the final resting place for 26,000 genocide victims. ALSO READ: Probe launched after discovery of remains of over 100 Genocide victims in Huye However, there are still many more victims whose bodies have not been located for proper burial, according to Patrick Sindikubwabo, the President of Ibuka in Nyamagabe District. Sindikubwabo lamented the ongoing concealment of information regarding the whereabouts of these victims' bodies, noting that they are still being discovered in various locations such as pit latrines, fields, and beneath houses. He emphasized the importance of uncovering all the bodies to provide closure to survivors and aid in their healing process. “The activity to exhume genocide victims’ bodies continues. We are saddened by those who are still hiding information about where genocide victims’ bodies were dumped. Some are still in pit latrines, fields, under houses and others,” he said. ALSO READ: Renewed call to reveal location of remains of Genocide victims The issue of concealing information about genocide victims’ bodies has led to arrests in several instances. In August 2023, seven individuals from Mbazi sector in Nyamagabe were apprehended for hiding such information, and similar arrests were made in Huye District in January 2024. The commemoration events in different districts showed the need for reconciliation and the importance of revealing information about the victims' remains. In Nyarugenge District, tribute was paid to victims at Butamwa Genocide Memorial, while in Gasabo District, the Executive Administrator, Pauline Umwari, denounced those who continue to withhold information about the locations of Tutsi victims' remains. Throughout the Eastern Province, commemoration events were held to honor the memory of the genocide victims. In Kayonza, Nyagatare, and Gatsibo, gatherings took place at various memorial sites, including Kabarondo, Nyagatare Memorial, and Kiziguro Genocide Memorial, respectively. Efforts to locate additional victims' bodies are ongoing, as evidenced by activities initiated in Mukarange sector, Kayonza District, in March 2024, aiming to find between 200 and 500 genocide victims' remains based on gathered information from various sources.
