The event held on Thursday was marked by a walk to remember from UTB headquarters at Sonatubes to Eto Kicukiro where a large number of Tutsi were killed during the genocide and laid wreaths at Nyanza genocide memorial in Kicukiro.
Prof. Gustave Tombola, UTB Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs and Research said commemoration period is used to honor the bravery of those who stopped genocide.
“As we commemorate, we condemn the cowardice of the Government that prepared and executed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi as well as Rwandans who accepted to kill neighbors. When you reflect on cowards, it means you have to learn from it and strive for bravery. We commend the courage of RPF Inkotanyi soldiers that stopped genocide,” noted Tombola.
The Chairperson of National Itorero Commission, Edouard Bamporiki who graced the event took students through Rwanda’s history and reminded them to grab opportunities learning from President Paul Kagame’s outstanding leadership promoting unity among Rwandans.
“You should be active internet users to go through advice of President Paul Kagame to emulate these values. It will help you to build the nation. We need to sit and look at our role to consolidate achievements under the championship of the president in collaboration with soldiers who liberated the nation. It is a good legacy that we continue to uphold,” said Bamporiki.
Nyanza-Kicukiro is distinctly known as one of the places where thousands of people were massacred a few days after the beginning of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
When the genocide began on April 7, over 3000 Tutsi from Kicukiro sought refuge at a former technical school, Ecole Technique Officielle de Kicukiro (ETO), in the belief that they would be protected by the United Nations peacekeeping forces for Rwanda (MINUAR) that was based there.
MINUAR would however desert them a few days later, despite the tension that had built up as the Interahamwe militia and government soldiers had surrounded the school.
Following the departure of the UN troops, government soldiers and Interahamwe took control of ETO Kicukiro.
In the school, Tutsi were taken by government soldiers and Interahamwe to Sonatube to be murdered there but the then mayor of the city, Lt. Col. Tharcisse Renzaho, ordered that they instead be taken to Nyanza and killed from there because Sonatube was too visible along the road to the airport.
The Tutsi were then forced to march back, all the way to Nyanza, amid a heavy downpour. Many had not eaten for a couple of days. Those too weak to walk were killed on the way. When they arrived at Nyanza, the militia asked them to present their IDs to ensure that no Hutu were among the group.
Mass killings then began and many of them were killed using machetes. The next morning, as the killers attempted to finish off those who were still alive, the Rwandan Patriotic Army soldiers arrived and rescued the few who had survived the massacre.
