During the 31st Genocide commemoration on May 23 at CHUB, MP Venerande Uwamariya urged foreign nations to revoke licenses of genocide-linked medics and help return them to Rwanda for justice.
CHUB became a place of horror during the Genocide, as doctors who had pledged to save lives turned into perpetrators. Around 300 Tutsi including patients, staff, and neighbors seeking refuge were killed on the hospital grounds.
“Justice must prevail for the families of the victims,” MP Uwamariya said.
She reiterated her message to the international community: “Those who harbour and employ genocide perpetrators must understand that genocide is a crime without statute of limitations.”
“We urge all nations to ensure that those responsible are returned to Rwanda and brought to justice.”
She concluded by calling on Rwandans to reject genocide denial by uniting and stand for the truth, as those who deny the genocide are still trying to deceive the world.
Christine Nuwumukobwa, a survivor and former student at the National University of Rwanda (NUR), shared her harrowing account. After fleeing to CHUB, she witnessed doctors handing over their Tutsi colleagues to soldiers.
“Every corridor was filled with armed soldiers. The very doctors who were supposed to save lives were the ones identifying their Tutsi colleagues to be taken away and killed,” she said.
Dr. Christian Ngarambe, Director General of CHUB, referenced how Dr. Théodore Sindikubwabo, a paediatrician and former Health Minister under the Kayibanda regime, convened a meeting with Hutu doctors, describing them as people knowledgeable in how to kill efficiently, and urged them to murder Tutsi and teach others to do the same.
Dr. Ngarambe also cited Prof. Godefroid Gatera, an orthopaedic specialist, who reportedly used formalin, a chemical normally used to preserve bodies but extremely harmful to the eyes, by spraying it into forests to force Tutsi out of hiding.
Despite this dark chapter, Dr. Ngarambe stressed that today’s healthcare providers are committed to healing, not harm.
“They are dedicated to treating every Rwandan with compassion and equality,” he said.
The genocide decimated Rwanda’s health sector, with nearly 80% of healthcare providers killed. But the system has since been rebuilt and continues to serve all citizens with renewed purpose and professionalism, according to Dr. Ngarambe.
Athanase MUNYARUGENDO / The Kaminuza Star