Residents of Bumbogo sector have been asked to distance themselves from genocide ideology and work towards unity and reconciliation as a way of seeing development in their community 21 years after the genocide.
The remarks were made by Honorable Cecile Mukuruwacu who officiated the closing ceremony of the official genocide commemoration period which ended today April 13, 2015. The event was attended at an estimate of three thousand people.
At the event, leaders and residents also reburied one body of, Jean Pierre Habyarimana, one of the victims of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, who was killed and burried in Ndera sector. They residents also paid tribute to the 7500 victims killed in Bumbogo area.
She said that Rwandans have to know that the perpetration of genocide ideology is a set back to the county’s development.
“The denial of genocide won’t last long because we have laws against it. But It is possible to separate ourselves from genocide ideology and those who deny genocide, even if they are our own blood” she said.
Security officials, both army and police also gave Bumbogo residents the assurance that genocide will not happen again even though there are still some traces of genocide denial in the community.
The director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Supt. Theos Badege said that those who still carry on genocide ideology should do it on their own risk because the law will catch up with them in time.
He said that even though the numbers of cases of genocide denial are few, some residents and leaders have been arrested and prosecuted for the acts of genocide ideology.
One, Gaspard Mugiraneza, the cell head of Nyagasozi cell, Bumbogo sector was on April 12 arrested for uttering statements that were allegedly interpreted as controversial and pointing towards trivializing the essence of the genocide commemoration.
The Mayo of Gasabo district, Stephen Rwamulangwa stated that Rwanda is lucky to have a community based security system- which is an assurance that genocide can never happen again. Rwandans won’t let genocide happen again because of the good leadership that respects Rwanda and its people they have today.