Rwanda Genocide Memorial centers
Rwanda Genocide Memorial centers
Rwanda Genocide Memorial centers : The Rwanda Genocide was known as the 1994 civil war that claimed a great number of lives in less than 100 days. This genocide started in April 1994 and ended in June 1994 but claimed up to 800,000 lives and these were brutally murdered by slaughter. This genocide was a fight between the two major ethnic groups of Rwanda and these are the Hutu and the Tutsi with the Hutu being the bigger ones in number. 85% of the Rwandan population was comprised of the Hutus and the Tutsi were fewer but were the ruling ethnicity.
A long time ago in 1959, the Hutu community overthrew the Tutsi leadership and this had many of the Tutsis seeking refuge in the neighboring countries mainly Uganda. Later in 1990, the exiled Tutsi formed a rebel group known as the Rwandan patriotic Front (RPF) and attacked the country until a peace pact was signed in 1993 and the fight ended. Later on 6th April 1994, which is an annually celebrated day in the country remembering the genocide, an aircraft that was carrying the then ruling President Juvenal Habyarimana and his colleague Cyprien Ntaryamira from Burundi was gunned down and killed everyone on board. Both of these were Hutus and the Hutu community was bitter blaming the attack on the Tutsi rebel group while the rebel group claimed this was just a defense mechanism for the Hutu who wanted to start the genocide.
This was a really dark time and critical time for the country as everyone turned on each other and many were killed, Tutsis slaughtered in broad day light by the Hutu, too much hate was around the country, dead bodies lying on the streets and by the end of this killing spree, 800,000 Tutsi had been killed and also some Hutus had been lost.
The RPF did not give in and continued to fight for their people backed by the Ugandan army and until they conquered up to Kigali city forcing the Hutus to flee to the neighboring countries that is DR Congo, Tanzania and Burundi and they were led by the ruling President Kagame who has led this small country to greatness and healing from this guerilla. The darkness that befell this country can never be forgotten that is why genocide memorial centers have been established and been maintained across the country to thrill while on a Rwanda safari.
These genocide memorials are also a reminder to the Rwandan people to keep peace and make sure this never repeats itself as much as they are places of mourning, remembrance and many people both Rwanda and international visitors pay homage to these places in April yearly. A few of the Genocide centers you can visit while in Rwanda depending on your location include the following.
Kigali Genocide Memorial Center
The Kigali Genocide Memorial center is the most visited Rwanda Genocide Memorial centers and the biggest of them all and this is majorly because of its strategic location in Gisozi which is a 10 minute road transfer from Kigali city’s center. 250,000 genocide fallen Rwandan people are buried at this center and in the mass graveyard where the relatives can visit. The Kigali Genocide memorial center is run by a UK NGO that dedicates its operations to ending genocides all over the world.
There are a number of exhibits you can visit when here with skulls of the victims and some of their personal belongings and pictorial moments that were captured. You can also see a number of photos and other genocides that have happened in other parts of the world and also see plaques with names of the genocide victims who were documented. If you are interested in this history, this Genocide memorial is the most accessible once in Rwanda so be sure to add it on your safari.
Murambi Genocide Memorial grounds
The Murambi Genocide memorial ground is located in the Murambi town and if you opt to visit this center then you should have a strong heart as the skeletons of the victims of the genocide are put on display and it looks real. The bodies and skeletons are left in their natural state that if you knew someone, you could easily identify them on a visit.
There is a mass grave here as well and the memorial is on the area that was formerly Murambi Technical school where the Hutus sought refuge only to find it was a trap. The previously used class rooms are now exhibit rooms for this memorial.
Nyamata Genocide Memorial
The Nyamata Genocide memorial is located 30 kilometers away from Kigali in Bugesera which is south of the city. This memorial is sitted on former church land and commemorates up to 25,000 Rwandans who lost their lives in the genocide. This church was also a death trap for the Tutsis who sought refuge in the church but were instead attacked by the Hutu fighters who bombed the place and slaughtered the others.
This site is another dark site as you will find personal properties, national ID’s on the church pews and blood stains all over the place as well as the preserved altar cloth that you will see with the blood stains from the killings that happened here. The mass grave yard is right outside the church. This can be visited to or from the Nyungwe forest national park.
Nyanza Genocide Memorial
The Nyanza Genocide Memorial is another genocide ground in the Kigali city currently on the grounds of the School of Technology Office in Kicukiro district. This is the center where the annual “Kwibuka” ceremony is held to remember the genocide every April of the year. This memorial has up to 10,000 graves of the Tutsi people who were under Belgian protection but abandoned when the genocide became worse who were airlifted to safety.
Bisesero genocide memorial
The Bisesero genocide memorial is a smaller memorial with graves of about 40,000 people who breathed their last from here. The Tutsi people camped here and tried their level best to fight off the Hutu attackers with stones and sticks and that is the story this site holds.
Ntarama genocide memorial
The Ntarama genocide memorial is another accessible memorial ground as it is just an hour drive from Kigali city and was a catholic church where about 5,000 people were killed and this is a small site as it was a village parish as compared to the other memorial grounds.
The building that was sheltering the Tutsi was broken down by the Hutu brick by brick giving them access to the Tutsi and killed them.
Nyarubuye genocide memorial
The Nyarubye genocide memorial is the smallest memorial and is located 140 kilometers away from Kigali where the graves of about 2,000 individual are set. The then mayor of the Nyarubuye district was a Hutu and was believed to have given the go ahead and even provided fire arms to kill the Tutsi in the region.
Years later, this genocide memorial has been transformed into a church which the people living in the area can access for prayer with the memorial just next to the church. A Rwanda safari is only complete after you visit one of these sites to testify the current progress this small country has had since that dark time. Get in touch with us to organize for you a visit to any of the Genocide memorials.
