Rwanda Genocide Memorial Site, After the genocide war which happened in Rwanda in1994, many memorial sites. Where built as a remind of the tragedy which happened after the killing of the president Habyalimana. The genocide include Gisozi Genocide memorial museum Nyamata, Mulambi, Bisesero, Ntarama, Kigali memorial center and Nyarbuye. After the killing of Habyalimana, immediately road brocks, looting, burning and killings started. And the war was between the Hutus and Tutsis. Within about 90 days, over an estimate of 1 million people were registered death as a result of this terrible war. And thousands fled to nearby countries to seek for asylum.
The war greatly affected the economy, the population went down. And many Infrastructures like building, banks, among many others we destroyed. As result of the many deceased, it was decide that a one graveyard should be built for the burials of the dead bodies. And over 8 memorial sites are recognized in Rwanda many visitors to Rwanda can’t leave minus a visit to one of these sites.
Meanwhile, the survivors of this dreadful war will provide you with relative information. About how the war started and how they survived from the marauding killers. You can’t fail to feel tears coming from your throats after receiving such heart touching stories. Let’s us examine one by one of these Rwanda genocide memorial sites.
Murambi was a recognized school before the genocide war, but after the breakdown of the killings. People rushed to this school to seek for a refuge and also they thought protection from the French soldiers. However this did not work out the way they thought, the Hutu attacked and killed the Tutsis in big number, within here and in the nearby road blocks. Over 2700 people are estimated to have been murdered and buried here. For preservation of the place natives were resettled in other places for the preservation of the corpses in the place and it’s now an exhibition place related to tourism. Many bodies are still preserved and nobody is allowed to interrupt their peace. The school is now used as an exhibition to tourist. Ounce here you will receive informative information from the survivors of this horrific war
This is where most of the killings started. And it’s considered as the first genocide memorial site to be set in Rwanda immediately after the killings. An estimation of about 12000 victims who were killed in the genocide were buried here. Mostly the Hutus and a few Tutsis called within and in the nearby towns. The memorial site was specifically built with the help of IBUKA, the genocide survivors’ organization, and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. The site is located in in Gisenyi; it’s where Madame Carr’s grave. Who was in charge of the Imbabazi orphanage is found.
Nyamata formally known as a church, its located just about an hour from Kigali city and its located in Bugesera district, over 2500 who had come to seek refuge at the church were killed mostly the Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Ounce here you can still see people’s IDS, bones, are still emerged with bits of clothing’s. The church still exits as to commemoration of the incidence that took place.
This is one of the most visited memorial site, its located just about 3km from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and its largest city in Gisabo village in Gisenyi. Many visitors to Rwanda find it easy to drive and visit this memorial site and then after drive back to their destination. Within here over 20000 people are said to have been buried under the same graveyard. The museum was built by a joint partnership of the Kigali city council and the UK based sponsorship trust.
Bisesero is located in Karongi district on the lower slopes of Kibuye region in the western part of Rwanda. And it’s referred to as a hill of resistance because of the brave opposition the Tutsis showed the Hutus. The Tutsis hide here for weeks against the Hutus. The hill was characterized with very many rocks which they used to defend themselves.
However this did not lost for long, they were betrayed by the French soldiers who promised them protection. If they vacate the hills, the French withdrawn from protecting the Tutsis. hence they were attacked by the Intarahamwe soldiers who were well equipped with guns and machetes. Against the Tutsis who only fighting using stick, stones, they were over powered and accounts to over 30000 were killed. It was decided to buried them in one graveyard. The site also has nine small structures meaning the nine communities which formed the Kibuye region.
Nyarubuye was a convent as well as a school, when the war started. The nuns and bishops ordered people to go and hide from here and the nearby school thinking that they won’t be attacked by the marauding killers. Since they had been promised protection from the French soldiers. Furthermore, the French soldiers withdrawn, and went back home giving room for the killers to attack. And kill who ever found here as they tried to escape for their lives in Tanzania. The church is now known as a tourist site and the school was renovated in 2003 and it’s now opened, operating with a number of students. People’s items like clothes, dishes, identity cards, shoes, wallet among many others are still preserved and kept in the convent building.
Most of the memorial rituals which are conducted in Rwanda every 15 April in the commemoration of the 1994 genocide war are done from here. However, many travelers, VIPs from different countries whole over the world meet here. As they commemorate the massive killing of the people. Nyanza was formally a school called ETO managed by the UN who had come to provide security to the Rwanda before the genocide. The site is located in Kicukiro a suburb southeast of the city center, people thought protection form the French soldiers and took refuge to the school, however when the French soldiers returned to their country, it gave a room to the marauding killers to attack and kill who ever took refugee here majorly the Tutsis and a few Hutus.
An estimate of 5000 people are said to have been killed within the church and nearby road blocks around the town, it was formally a church before the war, where many people rush to hide from most especially women and children, thinking they won’t be attacked the killers, they padlocked them self-inside the church, however they were attacked and killed in such large number. Since the genocide, this church was not interfered with and today it is an exhibition site. You can still identify peoples ID, clothes, wallets shoes. It’s located just about an hour’s drive from Kigali Rwanda’s capital and it’s largest city and its located in Bugesera.
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