{American ambassador in Rwanda, Erica Barks-Ruggles has revealed a plan to provide contribution of renovating genocide memorials as a bid of resisting people denying 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.}
Erica Barks-Ruggles said this on Wednesday this week during a ceremony of commemorating 26 staff of American embassy and other attached organizations killed in 1994 genocide against Tutsi.
Barks-Ruggles said that there is an alternative of collaboratively preserving history to serve as lessons helping to avoid reoccurrence of genocide.
“Through the support of the ambassador in preserving culture, we have received support aimed at training Rwandans in June and July, 2016 on how to preserve essential history. The capacity building will go beyond Ntarama memorial and extended to others across the country,” she said.
She said that such trainings on better preservation of history will be organized as a move to tackle denials of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.
“We must stand to fight against people undermining what happened in 1994 during genocide against Tutsi. We can’t allow people to dent such history,” she said.
Barks-Ruggles said that the amount of money contributed will be revealed later and thanked DRC Congo for efforts to deport to Rwanda, Ladislas Ntaganzwa, the former mayor of Nyakizu suspected of genocide crimes.
Dr. Jean-Damascène Gasanabo, Director General of the Research in the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG) said that much effort should be committed preventing reoccurrence of genocide.
He said the World should join efforts in fighting against genocide ideology and arresting genocide suspects wandering across the globe.
Mwiseneza Diane, who was eight years old during genocide, testified how her father who was a communications officer at US embassy was called for help but received no reply.
“When killings were expanded in Kigali city on April 16th 1994 my father called the embassy but no one responded. We couldn’t understand why they kept quiet while leaders of the embassy would call him whenever they wanted his services,” she said.
Mwiseneza said that her father was killed with her brother. After six days the embassy closed doors and Americans were taken back home.
US is currently strengthening measures of bringing to justice genocide suspects. It has accepted to offer USD 5 million for whoever reveals information leading to the arrest of Kabuga Félecien, Augustin Bizimana and Protais Mpiranya suspected of genocide crimes.
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