On April 11, a #Kwibuka32 commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was held in Gashora Sector, Bugesera District, in the area formerly known as Gashora Commune. The event brought together leaders, security officials, representatives, and a large number of residents to honor the victims and remember the tragedy.
During the ceremony, 52 bodies of victims recently recovered from Gashora and Rilima sectors were laid to rest with dignity at the Gashora Genocide Memorial. The memorial, which previously held 5,229 bodies, now has a total of 5,281 victims laid to rest.
The Mayor of Bugesera District, Richard Mutabazi, said that continuing to bury victims 32 years later shows how brutal the Genocide was and the impact of delayed information.
He said, “Continuing to bury victims 32 years after the Genocide was stopped shows how it was carried out with extreme cruelty, the loss the country suffered, and the effects of not sharing information about what happened. However, this should not discourage us, but instead give us the responsibility to continue teaching, especially the youth.”
He added that giving victims a dignified burial helps bring peace to families by allowing them to know where their loved one’s rest.
Survivors also shared their emotions during the ceremony. Nkurunziza Pierre Damien from Rilima Sector said, “We are grateful to finally lay to rest those we were not able to bury before. It is a great relief, and we thank the country for helping ensure that the remains of our loved ones are found and buried with dignity.”
Niyonagira Laurence said, “We spent many years searching for our relatives without knowing where they were. Being able to find their remains and give them a dignified burial brings great comfort to our hearts.”
Member of Parliament Hon.Speciose Mukandanga, who attended the event, said it was important to restore dignity to those who were denied a proper burial.
She said, “This year, Kwibuka in Bugesera District, especially in Gashora, is marked by laying to rest 52 of our people who were killed during the Genocide. For 32 years, they were denied the dignity of a proper burial, but today we are restoring that dignity and reaffirming the value of every life.”
She added that while no words can remove the pain of survivors, dignified burials help bring comfort and healing.
The former Gashora Commune now includes Gashora, Rweru, Rilima, and Juru sectors. The Gashora Genocide Memorial continues to serve as a place of remembrance, as efforts to find and properly bury all victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi continue.
TCN || The Comments News