The Government of Rwanda committed to stand with survivors not only now, but always to ensure that they heal and rebuild their lives. This was said by the Minister of Local Government, Jean-Marie Vianney Gatabazi during an event held on April 28, to commemorate slain employees of the Ministry of Internal security, Ministry of Public Service and Labour, Ministry of Local Government and Directorate-General of Immigration and Emigration. The commemoration event kicked off with laying a wreath at the memorial site at migration offices, where names of public servants for the three ministries killed during genocide are. Gatabazi said that Rwanda committed to stand by survivors in every possible way, by all means, and is not taking this back. He said that during commemoration times, some people still torture or destroy properties for survivors, noting however that the fight against genocide denial and ideology still goes on. He added that, about Gacaca cases that are not yet done, every year there is mobilisation and efforts put in concluding the cases, “We promise to put in efforts to look into the cases that are still ongoing. The government is looking into it to see how to solve that.” Piere Celestin Rusekamanzi, who survived the 1994 genocide against Tutsi narrated how he lost his parents during the genocide, including his father, who was apparently beaten to death by Interahamwe. He said, “As we commemorate, deniers hurt us by not recognising that we survived. By denying the Tutsi genocide, they deny that we live.” “We choose to be one,” said Julienne Uwacu, The Executive Director in charge of the Community Resilience Department at the National Unity ministry. She pointed out how Tutsi in different parts of the country were killed by people they knew, friends, and how there was no accountability from any government institution, but rather, were awarded for the work done. Retelling history doesn’t mean that we don’t know about it. But we ought to retell the Rwandan story to preserve it, and for our children to learn from the right sources, she added. Freddy Mutanguha, the Executive secretary of Aegis Trust called upon MINALOC to put more efforts in following up with cases of survivors being tortured, killing of their livestock, destroying their crops, especially during such times. Mutanguha lauded efforts to maintain memorial places and urged for more efforts in this regard, since it is one way of honouring those we lost.
