Maintenance of memorial sites a collective responsibility – CNLG

Maintenance of memorial sites will best be achieved through collective efforts. This was said by the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG), Jean de Dieu Mucyo.Eighteen years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that claimed over a million lives, the country is still striving to ensure that the remains of victims in memorial sites are properly preserved. Currently, some memorial sites are in dire need of a facelift.“It shouldn’t be looked at as a responsibility of the government only; every Rwandan should have a stake in the maintenance of the memorial sites,” said Mucyo.He adds that there are plans to renovate memorial sites that are on the national level but local authorities and area residents should take the initiative of renovating district memorial sites before CNLG intervenes.At the country level, there are seven memorials, and these are; Gisozi, Rebero, Nyanza-Kicukiro, Murambi, Bisesero, Ntarama and Nyamata.“Currently we are renovating Bisesero, Nyarubuye and Murambi memorial sites. The renovation of one memorial site costs around Rwf100m,” said Mucyo.The Bisesero memorial site has of late been in the news for the wrong reasons with a parliamentary committee raising concerns of the possible collapse of the memorial that symbolises resistance of the Genocide.At the Bisesero hill, close to 50,000 Tutsi were killed, but after resisting for weeks attacks by interahamwe militias and armed forces of the then regime.The attacks were repulsed by the brave men and women of Bisesero, who used traditional ammunition like stones, bows and arrows against the adequately armed militias.Following the parliamentary concerns in 2010, CNLG started renovating Bisesero in 2011 but works are still moving at a snail’s pace.Located in the Western Province, the site currently harbours remains of between 50,000 and 60,000 victims. It comprises nine small structures which represent the nine communes that formerly made up the Prefecture of Kibuye.In a separate interview, the first vice coordinator of Genocide Survivors’ students association (AERG), Jean Luc Mwizerwa, deferred with the officials, saying all genocide memorial sites in the country should be handled the same way.“Every Rwandan should own these bodies in the memorial sites and ensure they are in a safer place but CNLG should as well ensure that all memorial sites are taken care of equally not just a few that are on the national level,” said Mwizerwa, adding that everyone should have a stake in the maintenance of even those sites at national level.Mwizerwa proposed that all Genocide survivor associations should start lobbying in and outside the country to raise funds for the renovation of the memorial sites.However, the president of Ibuka, an umbrella organisation of Genocide Survivors’ associations, Dr Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu, concurred with Mucyo on having a few memorial sites that would easily be managed.“This is something that can only be done through mutual understanding with Genocide survivors because it involves moving the remains of their relatives to another location,” said Dusingizemungu. “It should be communicated to the public that maintaining memorial sites cannot be done by the government alone, the people’s role is very important.”Part of Dusingizemungu’s proposal is to have a consortium of all organisations, religious and no religious to partner with the area residents where a memorial site is located and raise funds for its maintenance.As plans are underway to renovate memorial sites, the UK-based Cranfield University has finalised the construction of a mobile laboratory which will be used for conservation of remains for 150 years.“We expect the lab to arrive in Rwanda soon. It cost us Rwf 100 million to have this laboratory and its accessories constructed,” said Mucyo.