Rwanda wants three of its genocide memorials registered among the world heritage sites a move that will enable the world learn about the genocide against ethnic Tutsi that claimed a million lives in 1994.
In 2012, the east African nation proposed to UNESCO to recognise three memorial sites including; Murambi Genocide memorial in Nyamagabe district, Ntarama memoria site in Bugesera district and Nyarubuye Genocide memorial located in Kirehe district.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, Julienne Uwacu told KTPress, “We want the world to understand the Genocide against the Tutsi, the atrocity behind it, and to say never again and to mean it.”
Murambi Genocide memorial in Nyamagabe district is among those that the government wants included in the UNESCO heritage sites
Selected among dozens of other memorials, the three memorials carry rich history related to the mass killings of over a million Tutsi between April 6 and July 4, 1994, the period of the Genocide against Tutsi.
Over 10,000 people were being killed every day for a hundred days.
They also reflect the behaviour of International Community during the Genocide.
Murambi Genocide memorial center for example reflects the indifference of the UN contingent of France nationality to the killings of thousands Tutsis.
This site is located in the former Zone Turquoise that was created and controlled by French troops.
More than 50,000 Tutsi were killed there in three days (19th – 22nd of April 1994). These victims were hiding in school buildings called ‘Ecole Technique Officielle’ which was under construction.
French troops allegedly tried to negate the killings at the place.
In 1998, Boubacar Borris Diop, a Senegalese author who visited and collected testimonies for two months wrote in Murambi, the Book of Bones, “Murambi where French soldiers built volleyball court on a mass grave to hide death.”
Other testimonies indicate that French troops trained and armed Interahamwe militia, the main executors of the Genocide.
The two other memorials also carry history on the Genocide, with for example Ntarama, a region from Bugesera where the Genocide was tried since the 1960s, until 1994 where 5,000 Tutsi were killed in a catholic church.
Nyarubuye with 20,000 victims also killed at church is known because the killings were filmed by international media channels, and then was visited by then UN secretary Boutros Boutros Ghali, says genocidearchiverwanda.org.
The three memorials are featured in a bill on protection of cultural heritage that was approved by the government of Rwanda last week.
Inside Murambi memorial
No monetary gain
Speaking to KTPress on Monday, Minister Uwacu said, “Registering genocide memorials among world heritage will not come with monetary gain. After all we are not targeting money.”
Uwacu added, “There is no deadline to have the memorials registered; you cannot set a deadline for such an international body.”
She however expressed confidence that the sites will be registered, given that the world has now recognized the Genocide against Tutsi.
UN adopted a resolution that set April 7 as commemoration of the Genocide against Tutsi worldwide.
However, KTPress understands that registering a world heritage does not happen overnight. It rather requires a wide range of documentation of the site, so that it informs everyone, even those who cannot reach the site.
Testimonies, demographic and topographic data about the site among other things will have to be gathered.