During the event which took place on Sunday 17th April 2022, six remains of Genocide victims recently excavated from the dam were buried decently.
The Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) shows that over 4000 Tutsis were dumped in the dam from 9th to 18th April 1994.
Augustin Ntazinda who shared testimonies on behalf of families whose relatives are laid to rest at Ruramira Genocide Memorial said that Tutsis dumped in the dam were from different parts of the country.
He revealed that some of them came from Mwulire, Gasetsa, Gikaya, Rwamagana and Nyarusange among others.
Ntazinda said that Interahamwe militia stood at the dam to block Tutsis from fleeing assassinations through the dam. He explained that Interahamwe would dump victims after killing them or alive.
The President of Ibuka in kayonza District, Didas Ndindabahizi commended RPA soldiers for stopping the Genocide and restoring hope among survivors.
He also thanked the government for having supported Genocide orphans to pursue studies and providing shelter to survivors among others.
Senator Bideri John Bonds who was the guest of honour at the event comforted families whose relatives were killed in Ruramira during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi noting that remembering is a way to honour victims.
He extolled the collaboration between different authorities that led to the exhumation and decent burial of remains of Genocide victims.
“The history of killings in Ruramira dam and elsewhere in the country should be written so that people can draw lessons from it and prevent reoccurrence,” he said.
Bideri called for more efforts to track and try Genocide fugitives roaming in foreign countries to give justice to victims.
Ruramira Genocide Memorial accommodates 1280 remains of Genocide victims including 283 excavated from Ruramira dam after draining it.
Leave a Reply