Former senator Antoine Mugesera has urged Rwandans to strengthen unity and ensure that children are taught accurate and responsible history, stressing that no one benefited from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
He made the remarks during the 32nd commemoration ceremony held in Karama Sector, Huye District, in the area of the former Runyinya commune, a site marked by mass killings during the genocide.
Survivors recalled that Karama was among the most severely affected locations, where more than 75,000 Tutsi were killed on April 21, 1994. The area had earlier hosted over 110,000 displaced people from several communes in the former Butare and Gikongoro prefectures before the attacks.
Historical accounts show that the killings were carried out in a single day, from morning until late afternoon, leaving fewer than 3,000 survivors, while many others were killed while attempting to flee toward Burundi.
Mugesera said the genocide was the result of a “bad leadership system” that manipulated citizens into turning against one another, despite a long history of coexistence among Rwandans.
He emphasized that before the genocide, Rwandans lived in unity, sharing resources and maintaining strong social ties, but divisions were later introduced and exploited for destructive purposes.
“What did killing achieve? What did the killers gain? Nothing but loss and shame,” he said, urging parents to teach children the truth about Rwanda’s history and the consequences of division.
He stressed that no individual or group benefited from the genocide, noting that it only brought destruction and national trauma. He called for continued efforts to raise children in an environment rooted in unity, reconciliation, and national identity.
Mugesera also warned against distorted narratives of the genocide, saying education should focus on truth and healing rather than fear or misinformation.
The commemoration event brought together a large number of residents, survivors, and local leaders paying tribute to victims of the April 21, 1994 massacres.
Authorities announced plans to construct a major memorial site in Karama that will serve as a historical learning center. Mugesera called for faster implementation of the project and urged education authorities to support its development.
