On Friday, May 16, a delegation of 80 students and staff from the University of Rwanda, Huye Campus, visited the Nyamata Genocide Memorial to honour the memory of more than 45,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi who are laid to rest at the site.
The delegation received a historical briefing from Eric Muhaturukundo, an official guide from the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE).
The briefing highlighted the history of Bugesera District as a region where Tutsi communities were forcibly exiled beginning in the late 1950s.
Historically, Bugesera was an uninhabited area of Rwanda, covered in dense forests and plagued by tsetse flies. Following the 1959 revolution, many Tutsis were relocated there by force.
From 1959 to 1994, these communities endured decades of hardship, marginalization, and inhumane living conditions.
During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Bugesera became one of the most devastated regions.
Following the assassination of President Habyarimana on April 6, 1994, the genocide began almost immediately in Bugesera.
On April 7, extremists began burning Tutsi homes in Nyamata. As the area had a large Tutsi population, many tried to defend themselves.
By April 11, many Tutsi had fled their homes and sought refuge in the church.
Between April 14 and 16, approximately 5,000 Tutsis were massacred inside Nyamata Church. A few who managed to escape hid in nearby bushes and papyrus fields, but many were later found and killed by militia search parties—until the RPF Inkotanyi finally liberated Bugesera.
During the memorial tour, Muhaturukundo offered a powerful and insightful explanation as they walked through different sections of the memorial.
A former Roman Catholic Church has been transformed into a memorial for the victims of the genocide.
Inside the church, visitors can see victims’ clothes, belongings, and coffins.
Beneath the chapel, a room displays the remains of those who were killed there.
The guide explained the brutality of the genocide that took place within the walls of Nyamata Church.
The Interahamwe militia first surrounded the church, threw grenades into the crowd, and then opened fire with available guns. They later sprayed capsicum over the bodies to detect any survivors, killing those still alive with machetes. Most survivors were children, many of whom were later brutally killed in the baptism pool.
Inside the church is also a coffin containing the remains of Mukandoli Annonciata, a 25-year-old woman who was raped and had a spear inserted into her private parts. She stands as a symbol of the brutal sexual violence women endured during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Mass graves are located behind the church, with a vault that holds the remains of the genocide victims.
The memorial site also includes the grave of Antoinette Locatelli, an Italian nun killed in 1992 after publicly denouncing, on RFI and BBC, the killings of around 500 Tutsis in Bugesera by the Habyarimana regime. Many others had fled to Nyamata Church for safety.
In a moment of deep reflection, students and staff laid wreaths at the mass graves and observed a moment of silence to honor the victims.
Closing the trip to Nyamata, Dr. Mfurankunda Pravda, the staff representative, addressed the participants.
He emphasized the role of the international community—particularly Belgium—in destabilizing Rwanda.
“It remains a safe haven for genocide deniers,” he stated.
He urged students to take responsibility in combating genocide denial in all its forms, especially on social media.
Dr. Mfurankunda concluded by emphasizing the role of education in combating genocide ideology and denial.
”Read broadly about the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi,” he added.
The Nyamata Catholic Church, built in 1980 on Nyamata hill, was desacralized by the Roman Catholic Church on April 11, 1997, and transformed into a memorial to the victims of the genocide.
Nyamata Genocide Memorial is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Rwanda’s national genocide memorial sites.
Levy Gasana/ The Kaminuza Star