Genocide memorial sites and centers in Rwanda

 Brief History of Rwanda and the Genocide

Rwanda was initially inhabited by the Hutu farmers before the Tutsi came in with their cattle. Cattle being a status of fame in Africa, the Tutsi ruled over the Hutu people, and the two groups were living in Harmony.

However, with the coming in of the Belgians who colonized the country, they created a difference in the group by regarding the Tutsi, which was a minority group as the elite class and were to rule over the Hutu. They drew up a line between them and were identified by color, and head dimensions. Many atrocities were heaped on the Hutu majority all in the name of colonialism, and this grew much discontent among the Hutu which created tension and enemity between the Hutu Majority and Minor Tutsi.

This enemity continued on, and thus, on 6th April 1994 following the death of the then President Habyarimana, who was a Hutu, the Hutu were aggrieved and unlished a campaign to slaughter all the Tutsi who they referred to as “Cockroaches”. With the international community looking on after the death of 10 UN peacekeepers and decided to withdraw from the country, 100 days saw over 800,000 most of who were the Tutsi and those who sympasized with them.

Today, there are over 200 genocide memorial cites in Rwanda but only a few are developed for tourism purposes.

 KIGALI MEMORIAL CENTRE GISOZI

This is located in Gisozi, 10minutes drive from Kigali capital. This is where over 250,000 bodies were given proper burial in mass graves. With sanity retuning to Rwanda, bodies which were buried in mass graves  from all over the places in Rwanda were exhumed and brought up to Gisozi for descent burial.

Inside of the memorial centre, there is a very well put exhibition about the genocide, with a sorry tale which illustrates the oppressive regimes of both Germany and Belgium, to Rwanda’s independence, to the Massacres that preceded the genocide, to the genocide itself and finally onto the aftermath of the genocide.  

The exhibition finishes up in a large central room with many smaller rooms around it, containing the bones of some of the victims, numerous skulls, arm bones and leg bones displayed clothing from some of the victims, photos of the departed and much more.

Every tourist who goes to Rwanda includes the visit of the centre in order to feel the impact of the infamous 1994 Rwanda Genocide.

 MURAMBI MEMORIAL CENTRE

This is located in the South of Rwanda, on a series of hills. This was formerly a school where people gathered to seek sanctuary. This seemed to have a planned move by the authorities who advised the Tutsi to gather at the school for safety, and this where they were later starved and attacked by the Hutu militias, hacking and shooting them to death. Over 27000 people were killed on this place. After sanity started returning in the country, bodies from the various mass graves from surrounding areas were exhumed and buried properly. However, not all the bodies were reburied.  Many were placed in the school buildings at the back of the Murambi Memorial and now a shocking monument and hundreds of copses are preserved and displayed in the school.

The memorial has been developed as a permanent exhibition to the genocide. It documents from pre-colonial times to the more recent history of the 1994 genocide. The design focuses on developing a memorial from which the school children and local community can benefit. 

NYAMATA GENOCIDE MEMORIAL SITE

This was a the church where over 2600 people had gone to seek shelter before the were attacked and killed. Most of the killed were women and children and it shows how they were brutalized during the genocide; the way they were raped, and given all kind of ill treatment. People from different areas had gathered in this Catholic Church and locked themselves inside to protect themselves from the ruthless people, but unfortunately, luck was not on their side as they were found and slaughtered. Bones and clothes of the dead can be seen in the church.

BISESERO GENOCIDE MEMORIAL SITE

This is in Kibuye province, west of Rwanda. Many people who tried to resist the massacre were killed here, as they were ill equipped. Over 30000 Tutsis perished here in the hands of the Hutu militias. The place is now referred to as the “Hill of resistance” because of the effort the people put on trying to resist the adversaries. Nine buildings on the area represent the nine communes that inhabited the place. Bones of some of the victims and skulls were collected and treated and placed in these buildings for memorial purposes.

NYANZA GENOCIDE MEMORIAL CENTRE

Over 2500 Tutsis had sought refugee to this place because it was under the protection of the United nations Peacekeeping forces. Un fortunately, after the UN withdrew following the death of their members, the people Tutsis were attacked and matched up to the road to Nyanza where they were killed. The place now is has wooden crosses which symbolizes the abandonment by the international community.

NYARABUYE GENOCIDE MEMORIAL SITE

This was a school where over 20000 people were killed as they tried to escape the genocide to Tanzania. The place remains empty with only scattered bones.

 

NTARAMA GENOCIDE MEMORIAL CENTER

This was a church found in rural Kigali Province, situated in Bugesera, an hour’s drive from Kigali. This church was where most of the brutal killings took place, where over 5000 people had gone to seek refugee, most of whom were women and children. The ruthless attackers found them in the church and hacked all of them to death. The victims of the genocide remain there, their bones still strewn with lifeless chaos where they fell nearly ten years ago. Their belongings cover the floor; clothes, suitcases, a child's white sock - the last remnants of a desperate flight for life.

 

FEATURED GORILLA TOURS & SAFARIS TO AFRICA

Gorilla Safari Packages
Uganda Rwanda Combined Trips
Rwanda Gorilla safaris