Rwanda Genocide Memorial Sites

LEARN, PRAY, COMMEMORATES AT GENOCIDE CENTRES

The Rwandan genocide memorial centers are distributed all over the country. Following the 1994 event that recorded over 800,000 people perishing in a space of 100 days in   7th April 1994. These sites remains, photographs, and personal belongings like clothing, shoes, and other exhibits that belonged to the victims.

Genocide Genocide

These centers act as the reminder of the devilish tragic event that Rawandans witnessed in their land and it’s should never be repeated in Rwanda or anywhere in the world. It also serves as place of solace, mourning, and link for survivors with their dead relatives and friends. People come over at different times throughout the year but more especially during the national mourning time in April 7th yearly.

Genocide Genocide

Some of the Genocide memorials are listed below and please feel free to contact us when in Rwanda

 

Kigali Genocide Memorial Center

Entrance to the site - Genocide Kigali genocide memorial

Located in few minutes’ drive from the city center in Gisozi, this is the ultimate resting place for hundreds of thousands victimized Rwandese  estimated to be  over  250,000 victims  murdered in the whole course of the event. This place is operated by a UK Non-Governmental Organization responsible to cease anything like in Rwandan 1994 to occur elsewhere worldwide. Inside this built in genocide memorial center are different exhibitions spaces like space for skulls of survivors, their personal belongings, photographs of survivors, reconciliation efforts, and genocide perpetrators. Rwanda’s genocide exhibited items aside, there is space for photographs and descriptions of other tragic genocides witnessed in other parts of the world that tells that speaks volumes of caution to be considered  hence need to avert anything of that kind happen anywhere world over.

Outside of the building at the garden  different mass graves where survivors and those who lost loved ones can come to ‘re-connect’.

While around the Kigali city this is best place to reach because is just around town. info@gorillacousinsrwanda.com

Murambi Genocide Memorial

Murambi Genocide Memorial Murambi Genocide Memorial

This was a technical school just outside Murambi town and happens to be the most difficult center to visit where the bodies and skeletons of victims are still on display and this is so disturbing that a very close relative who had survived this worst event can recognize his or her person’s structures.  The murdered Tutsi hid in the technical school with hopes that the French soldiers will protect them but turned out to be a night mare and was a trap that ended up starving here without food. Afterwards they attacked by the militia evidenced by the several mass graves with former classrooms acting as exhibition rooms at this Murambi center.

Nyamata Genocide Memorial

Nyamata Genocide Memorial Nyamata Genocide Memorial

Nyamata genocide memorial center is also a former church located in Bugesera which is 30 km drive south of Kigali. Over 25,000 genocide murders were buried here. It is among the darkest sites in Rwanda after Murambi genocide memorial. With mass graves dug and built outside, the Tutsi who had a perception that churches were the safest places to hide in Rwanda, witnessed the worst moments that sent them to the graves unwillingly. The Hutus forced their way in through the closed doors with grenades and after the doors were broken in, they were butchered with machetes. Till to date, the victims murdered have their  clothes, national ID cards on the church pews with still fresh  blood spread all over the place visible. Worse still even the alter cloth that was stained with blood from the massacre of the several victims, still in church premises.

Nyanza Genocide Memorial

Nyanza Genocide Memorial

Found in Kicukiro district Kigali city. Often used as the grounds for the genocide anniversary commemorations conducted on yearly basis on 7th April. It houses graves of over 10,000 genocide murders who are believed to have been abandoned by Belgian UN peacekeeping forces as the genocide intensified. These Tutsi were openly left to be massacred by their enemies the Hutu by the UN forces who refused to airlift them to a safe area they were airlifted too so sad!!

Bisesero genocide memorial

Bisesero Genocide Memorial Bisesero Genocide Memorial

With an estimated number of 40,000 people believed to have been murdered at this place, this genocide memorial site is found in Kibuye Rwanda with 60km drive to access it. it is well known site because the Tutsi tried to resist their attackers here in the hills of Bisesero and they used rudimentary weapons like stones and sticks as their fighting arms against their enemies the Hutu that did not yield much in providing protection to them and afterwards, they were also butchered.

Ntarama genocide memorial

Ntarama genocide memorial

With few hours of drive from Kigali the capital of Rwanda, located in the outside parish that makes it relatively smaller than other sites. This small genocide memorial a former catholic church had blood for dozens of Rwandans shed with an estimate of 5000 people massacred here.  As the case with other sites, the Tutsi also tried to seek refuge in this remote parish catholic church too but the hurtles Hutu militias did not pardon them because the militias accessed them by plucking brick by brick to reach the people inside. This showed how determined they were to have others killed.

Nyarubuye genocide memorial site

Nyarubuye genocide memorial

Though this genocide memorial ground was restored  back to church status, a road drive of distance of about  140 km from Kigali is covered to access this  Catholic Church where the  1994 tragic incident happened and over  2000 are believed to have been murdered in this place. It ii also rumored  that  the then mayor  of the district Sylvester Gacumbitsi  led this tragic mission in this particular area and  in charge of  distributing arms and encouraging Hutu’s to use rape and later maim and kill the Tutsi  people.

Gorilla Cousins Rwanda  is ready to take you around all the above Genocide sites and more others not mentioned here for you to pay the respect to this innocent victimized Tutsi people that were forced to die by the fellow Rwandans. And as well find the rationales to preach peace to the whole world so as not to see anything of this kind happen ever in Rwanda or anywhere in the world.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *