Ugandans in Rwanda visit Ntarama memorial site

KIGALI - Over one hundred members of the Ugandan community in Rwanda, Friday paid tribute to more than 5000 Rwandans buried at Ntarama memorial cemetery in Bugesera district. At the memorial site, the delegation led by the deputy Ambassador of Uganda, John Magoba, expressed deep sorrow for the great loss of human lives. Magoba thanked the members of the association for coming up with the idea of paying tribute to the dead and told them to keep up the practice. “Your coming up as Ugandans living in Rwanda to pay respect to the victims of the 1994 Genocide is good and the practice should continue every year,” Magoba said. The acting speaker of Association of Ugandans in Rwanda (AUR), Fred Sendawula, told the mourners that they should pray for the dead and be torch bearers who should help to fight a repeat of such wanton killings. “What happened here can happen anywhere; so as Ugandans we should stand together and help the orphans as well as praying for the dead,” Sendawula said. One of the mourners, Mirembe Ssemujju, with eyes reddened with tears, said that the experience brings someone to grips with the reality of what happened during the Genocide. “After what I have seen and heard of the killings that took place here, I can only pray for the unity of all Rwandans so that something like this never ever happens again,” Mirembe said. Between 2,500-10,000 Tutsis fled from villages south of the capital and sought shelter in the one place they believed would be safe - the local Catholic church. The masses were huddled in the church and nearby buildings when, on April 10, 1994, members of the Interahamwe militia surrounded the church and using machetes, grenades and guns, killed nearly everyone inside and thousands more in the area. Ends