Residents, local leaders, and genocide survivors on Monday gathered in Kansi Sector of Gisagara District to commemorate victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, with particular focus on those killed and dumped in the Cyamwakizi pond.
The pond, linked to the Akanyaru River and shared by Kigembe, Mugombwa, and Kansi sectors, remains one of the area’s most harrowing genocide sites. Survivor testimonies recount how thousands of Tutsi were killed and thrown into the water, which at one point was reportedly filled with bodies. It is estimated that more than 25,000 victims were dumped there.
Jerome Mbonirema, a representative of IBUKA in the area, raised concern that the pond is gradually drying up, urging authorities to preserve it as a site of memory.
Gisagara District Mayor, Jerome Rutaburingoga, said the killings were the culmination of a long history of persecution against Tutsi dating back to 1959, describing the Genocide as a systematically executed plan.
He stressed the need to draw lessons from this history, noting that colonial divisions played a role in fueling discrimination, and called on citizens to uphold unity and reject any form of divisionism.
Addressing concerns about the pond’s condition, the mayor assured residents that efforts are underway to preserve it, in collaboration with institutions including Rwanda Environment Management Authority and Green Climate Fund.
“We will ensure that this pond does not dry up. Studies are ongoing to assess water sources feeding it, and solutions will be implemented. This site carries the history of our people and our country,” he said.
The mayor also commended survivors for their resilience and for choosing forgiveness as part of rebuilding the nation, encouraging continued efforts toward self-reliance and development.
Survivors from former communes of Nyaruhengeri, Kigembe, and Kibayi recounted how victims were lured with false promises of safe passage to Burundi, only to be brutally killed and thrown into the pond.
They called for the installation of a memorial marker at the site to document the atrocities and help educate future generations, as part of efforts to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.
