Cyivugiza: Genocide Survivors request information on burial places of their deceased relatives

By The Inspirer Writer. 

Hiding burial places of victims killed by Interahamwe in 1994 Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi increases invisible wounds for Genocide survivors.

As Rwanda commemorates the Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994, residents of Nyamirambo Sector in Nyarugenge District, on May 14, 2022 commemorated and called on those who have information about the whereabouts of the victims to release it so that they get decent burial.

In 1994, Cyivugiza became a gathering of Tutsis fleeing massacres around Kigali, including those from Gikondo, Biryogo and elsewhere after the death of the Interahamwe called Katumba.

The Habyarimana government has described Cyivugiza as a safe haven for Tutsi refugees from all over Kigali, in order to ensure a smooth demolition with the participation of former Interahamwe/killers and pro-government forces.

In an interview with KigaliToday, author Yolande Mukagasana, one of the survivors of Cyivugiza, highlighted the preparations for the Genocide on Cyivugiza and the role of some of the main interahamwe in inciting other Hutus to kill Tutsis through Radio RTLM, including Mwamini Espérance and Noël Hitimana.

There were containers that had been brought in between the former RTLM journalist Noël Hitimana’s residence and Karera François, the former bourgmestre of Nyarugenge, shortly before the Genocide, which they had dubbed the “Hutu transporters”. They set it up to intimidate the Hutus into believing that the Tutsis had a plan to kill them and use these containers to transport them to burial places.

As it was embarked on at the 28th Commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, the fact that there are liberal perpetrators abroad who are not even held accountable for their actions during the Genocide against the Tutsi in Cyivugiza makes it impossible for survivors to recover from their moral wounds.

Sylvie Muyango, one of the survivors of the Genocide in Cyivugiza emphasized on the moral wounds of the Genocide survivors, especially the invisible ones that are hindering them in the struggle for building Unity and Reconciliation, largely due to the fact that some of their loved ones were killed their burial places remain unknown, and they call up on residents provide information on that issue.

“We have to rebuild this country and make it strong, but it is not possible for us without having our moral wounds healed.” she said.

The representative of the Genocide Survivors Association (Ibuka) in Cyivugiza thanked the Inkotanyi for rescuing them. He highlighted the role of bad neighbors including killers such as Hitimana Noheli of RTLM who showed where the Tutsis were hiding through the Radio.

There was also Karera François who led the Nyarugenge Commune and the Kigali Ngari Prefecture, and Esperance Mwamini who led the major attacks on Cyivugiza, mocking her fellow women by torturing them.

Source: Kigali Today