Massive turnout for memorial events in South

A sombre mood that gripped residents in various parts of the Southern Province climaxed Saturday when mourners thronged memorial centres across the province to pay respect to victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.The venues for public lectures on Genocide as well as other places where commemoration activities were held were packed to full capacity since the start of the commemoration week.Other activities like drama shows on Genocide were also well attended.“The support of residents to Genocide survivors and the high attendance is a sign of the growing unity and reconciliation among the population,” provincial Governor, Alphonse Munyentwari, observed.He commended everyone for attending the commemoration activities and called on residents to continue assisting survivors in a bid to help them heal and grow economically.Nyanza District Mayor, Abdallah Murenzi noted that cases of people harbouring genocide ideology had decreased considerably in the district, saying it is a sign that people have understood the benefits of promoting positive values and good neighbourliness.“We have only registered one case related to genocide ideology in the whole district. This is a positive move towards a much more united community,” Murenzi said.He said the district is planning to accord decent burial to over 2,000 Genocide victims in the coming days and that preparations were at advanced stages.Days before the commemoration week, authorities in the Southern Province announced that the remains of over 10,000 victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi would be given a decent burial in various parts of the province.Up to 7500 of the victims were from Huye District alone. In some parts of the province, the burial activities were held over the weeklong national commemoration period, while more events are planned in the upcoming days.As part of the ceremonies to mark the end of the commemoration week, remains of eight victims were accorded decent burial in Kigoma sector in Huye.Testifying during the event, survivors narrated how some of their relatives were tortured and brutally murdered way before 1994. According to their accounts, the killings in the area started as early as 1959.They, however, noted that considering the cordial relationship that exists among the local population today, Genocide will never happen again.Survivors asked for more information on the whereabouts of the victims who are yet to be accorded decent burial.Huye District Mayor, Eugene Kayiranga Muzuka told thousands of mourners that commemorating the Genocide manifested the need to learn from the past so as to keep strengthening the “Never Again” resolve.“The commemoration should serve as an opportunity to reflect on our past and come up with strategies that will deter any attempts that may seek to take the country back to where we were, and also to develop ourselves,” Muzuka said.In Ruhango District, residents gathered in Kabagali sector where remains of 20 victims were laid to rest.According to a statement released by the district authorities, the bodies were exhumed from Mwendo, Kabagali and Bweramana sectors.The district Mayor, Francois Xavier Mbabazi, told survivors that the district authorities will always stand with them.In Nyamagabe District, thousands of mourners paid respect to Genocide victims buried at Kibumbwe memorial where they laid wreaths. Survivors in the district called for the support of local residents even after the commemoration week.In Nyaruguru, local authorities said over 80,0000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi are buried in various memorial sites constructed across the district.The district Mayor, Francois Habitegeko, said the search for the remains of other victims is ongoing in order to offer each and every victim a decent burial.In Gisagara District, mourners thronged Magi playground in Mukindo sector where they listened to testimonies of survivors.In their testimonies, the survivors pointed an accusing finger at the then bourgoumestre (mayor) Ildephonse Hitayezu, saying he personally played a key role in sensitising residents to kill the Tutsi.One of the speakers noted that Tutsi were assured of security and safety and tricked them to gather at the then Kibayi District (Commune) offices, from where they were butchered by the Interahamwe militia.In Muhanga District, survivors were joined by residents and authorities in a ceremony held at the shores of Nyabarongo river to pay tribute to all the victims who were dumped into the stream during the Genocide.Mourners braved heavy rains in a Walk to Remember which ended in Rugendabari sector, where a monument in memory of those who were dumped in the river has been erected. As of today, the tombstone contains 68 names of the known victims dumped in Nyabarongo.One of the survivors recounted how she helplessly watched as her five children were dumped into River Nyabarongo. She noted that image is still so fresh in her mind “as if Genocide just happened yesterday”. Yet she expressed optimism for a bright future.In the days leading to the Genocide, extremist Hutu politicians publicly urged ordinary Hutus to cut Tutsis in pieces and throw them in the county’s water bodies, particularly River Nyabarongo. One such infamous speech was given in 1992 by Leon Mugesera, who was, in January, deported from Canada and is awaiting trial from a Kigali prison.

National

Massive turnout for memorial events in South