The brutal murder of Pauline Nduwamungu, 66, last month is a stark reminder that even after three decades, survivors of the Genocide Against the Tutsi are not completely safe from hate crimes. What’s even more shocking is that in some instances, there is something that could have been done to prevent such loss. One of Nduwamungu’s neighbours who is also a survivor told the media that the victim had for almost two decades lived under constant harassment from her neighbours. She was receiving death threats, and sometimes people threw stones at her house at night. He also said that she reported all these actions, until the time of her murder where she was calling for help. ALSO READ: Ngoma genocide survivor suspected killer arrested, confesses It is disheartening that this is not an isolated case. In fact, it is only one in about 400 that were filed by the prosecution in the last two years. What’s more, Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) received 2,660 cases of genocide ideology and related crimes involving 3,563 suspects. Attacks on against genocide survivors accounted for 50 percent of these cases reported between 2019 and 2023, while genocide ideology cases accounted for 22 percent. Circling back to Nduwamungu’s story, she had suffered harassment and threats for 17 years. Although it was not revealed what was done in response to her reports, clearly it wasn’t enough because she suffered a savagely violent death. You see, it is not that hard to spot genocide ideology no matter what shade it is. Unlike what the uninitiated would think, some crimes resulting from it are actually committed by young people who were not even born until after the Genocide. ALSO READ: Violence against genocide survivors: 400 cases filed in two years While justice and accountability are and should be guaranteed at all times, we must always keep in mind that prevention is better than cure. Sometimes the response is too late and the damage is already done. This tragic case and a recent report in the media of people calling survivors names in some parts of the country should stop. It is our collective duty to educate young Rwandans on the dangers of hate.
