Over 100 Genocide victims exhumed from Rwezamenyo get decent burial

Remains of more than 100 Genocide victims who were recently exhumed from a home in Rwezamenyo Sector in Nyarugenge District were on Thursday interred at Nyanza Genocide Memorial. Located in Kicukiro District, Nyanza Genocide Memorial is currently home to 96,541 Genocide victims. The remains were unearthed from the courtyard of a home in Rwezamenyo that formerly belonged to Jean-Baptiste Rwagasana, a Tutsi who was killed along with many family members and neighbours during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Works to exhume the remains took five days; from Friday through Tuesday this week. According to Carine Karambizi, a survivor who with others had gone to hide at Rwagasana’s home, the place was presumed to be safer because of the strong men who were there. Addressing the mourners, she said that; “when killers attacked our home and failed to kill us, my father told us to go to Rwagasana’s home which was nearby and die while fighting.” “There were many strong men that resisted Interahamwe (Genocide perpetrators), but unfortunately almost all of them were killed when killers fired at us using tanks,” Karambizi said, adding that “those who survived the shooting were also killed afterwards”. More than 200 people are said to have been killed at Rwagasana’s home and thrown into a mass grave. Her parents and siblings were among those given decent burial in the ceremony. Justice is here to stay In his remarks, the Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Johnston Busingye, reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to give justice remains unwavering. He said: “The genocidal government had an agenda of exterminating a people, and they worked hard to achieve it. As a result, many people were killed. But the consequences are not far from what recently happened to the militia leader who was found in a pit with a spoon.” Busingye was referring to FDLR former leader, Sylvestre Mudacumura, who was recently killed in a military operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Busingye added: “Bringing to account perpetrators for their atrocities will never cease…no matter how long the process can take, justice will still be delivered.” He continued to say that it should be everyone’s responsibility to ensure justice, starting with individual commitment to walk the talk of never again. Moment of truth Genocide survivors who attended the burial called upon people with information of where remains of Genocide victims could be to come forth and provide information so that they can get a decent burial. “We are relieved because we have given our people a decent burial, even if this has come after 25 years. We know that there are others we weren’t able to find, we are requesting anyone who has any information on where our loved ones were dumped to tell us,” Karambizi said. Kayisime Nzaramba, the Mayor of Nyarugenge District, condemned some of the residents in Rwezamenyo who, despite knowing the information about the mass grave, kept quiet for 25 years. editor@newtimesrwanda.com

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Over 100 Genocide victims exhumed from Rwezamenyo get decent burial