Police pays tribute to Genocide victims around the country

IGP Emmanuel K. Gasana laying a wreath at Kamonyi memorial site

The Rwanda National Police (RNP) yesterday visited genocide memorial sites in different parts of the country to pay tribute to Rwandans who perished during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The Police was joined by officers from Rwanda Defence Forces, the community and local leaders at different sites to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the genocide.

The exercise included “Walk to remember” and testimonies of survivors, who remarked on the role played by previous security organs in organizing and executing the genocide.

At Kamonyi Genocide Memorial Site in Kamonyi District, the Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, and other senior police officers, laid a wreath in honor of over 35, 000 bodies buried there.

Most of the bodies buried at Kamonyi memorial site were killed in the sectors of Taba and Runda in operations headed by Jean Paul Akayezu and Sixbert Ndayambaje the then Bourgmestre of the two respective areas.

Gasana echoed this year’s commemoration theme of “self reliance” adding that “Rwandans must keep remembering” to keep memories of the past bad history and to ensure that this inhuman act “never happens again.”

“What happened is a long and sad road full of agony that is hard to explain,” he said.

He rapped security organs in the genocidal regime for serving and abetting the genocide and promised that the government and Rwanda National Police in particular will ensure that it never happens again. He said that they will further create a favourable environment that facilitates investment and development.

He thanked those that stopped genocide and Community Policing Committees (CPCs) and local authorities for their input in fighting and preventing crimes and genocide ideology in particular.

The IGP also handed over a cheque worth Rwf1 million to Ibuka – an umbrella of genocide survivors – as part of Rwanda National Police’s support to the ongoing renovation of memorial sites.

Letitia Iryanyabera, one of the survivors in Kamonyi recalled the night of April 19, 1994, when militias and soldiers attacked their village killing Tutsis and her husband and children, including her one-year old baby, whose head, she said, was smashed by a bullet.

Iryanyabera is among those who were saved by Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) at Kabgayi parish, where most families perished.

The District Mayor, Jacques Rutsinga thanked Rwanda National Police for living up to its mandate to protect Rwandans. He said that the district is in the second phase of construction of memorial sites.

In the Southern Region, police visited Nyanza Memorial site where 12, 000 bodies were buried while in the Eastern, they visited Kiziguro memorial site on Gatsibo District where 14, 000 genocide victims are laid to rest.

In the Northern Region, they visited Muhoza memorial site in Musanze District, in Kigali, they visited Nyanza memorial site in Kicukiro District where about 2000 people killed at ETO Kicukiro are laid to rest while in the Western they visited Gisenyi memorial site in Rubavu District where 0ver 1200 bodies were buried.