Yesterday evening, we crossed the border and entered the
beautiful country of Rwanda. Today, we learned more about the Rwandan genocide
that occurred 21 years ago.
First, we visited the Genocide Memorial Centre in Kigali.
The people of Rwanda have deemed the genocide a tragic event yet one that must
be preserved for education and future genocide prevention.
Before entering the memorial centre, we watched a video
of three individuals who survived the genocide. Their stories introduced the
sad fact that the genocide turned neighbors against neighbors and friends
against friends. The orators also explained how the museum was like a sanctuary
to remember their loved ones who were killed.
From start to finish, the museum describes how
colonialism, political instability, and propaganda lead to the one hundred day
genocide. Numerous excerpts described the graphic atrocities committed against
the Tutsi people, especially women, children, and the elderly. For example, I
was shocked to see how sex crimes and torture were employed on such a large
scale. Women were often raped repeatedly in front of their families.
Additionally, HIV positive men would deliberately rape and infect their female
victims to cause lasting pain. Some children were thrown down latrines and
stoned until they died. Others were killed in churches along with their parents
and siblings.
Many of the perpetrators were normal people who had Tutsi
neighbors, friends, employees, and spouses. However, the political influence
was so powerful that people who were otherwise average Joes became ruthless
murderers. As a group, we reflected on how we'd all like to think that we'd
never kill those closest to us. Unfortunately, it's impossible to predict what
each person is capable of and what they'd do in that situation.
One of the most unsettling facts is that numerous lives
could've been saved had other countries/world leaders stepped in. The commander
of the United Nations forces in Rwanda at the time, Roméo
Dallaire, requested additional forces to put an end to the violence
before it began, but his requests were denied. If that wasn't bad enough, the
troops sent to evacuate non-Rwandan citizens had enough man power to stop the
militia before the genocide. The people of Rwanda were abandoned.
Another section of the museum described the recovery
process that happened weeks, months, and years later. In addition to the
international aid given to the country, the survivors had to learn to forgive.
Soon after, national pride of being Rwandan (not Hutu or Tutsi) swelled.
The next section of the museum outlined other genocides
in the world including the Holocaust, the Cambodian genocide, and the Armenian
genocide. Despite the world becoming more developed, genocides have continued to
occur.
The final and most heart-wrenching section was dedicated
to children who lost their lives in the Rwandan genocide. Each wall held a full
sized photo of a child and a description of their favorite foods, activates,
toys, and the way that they were killed.
Outside of the museum, a mass grave of 250,000 men,
women, and children remind visitors of how much permanent damage the genocide
caused.
From there, we drove to the church at Nyamata, which is a
place where numerous people sought refuge and safety. Instead, everyone was
killed.
Before entering, we were told of the history of the
church. Previously, the Tutsi people had been protected by the church. However,
during the genocide many people were killed by militias, known as the interahamwe,
in different churches throughout Rwanda.
The militia threw grenades into the church and shot
through the gate to get inside and kill the people. The original gate, filled
with bullet holes and blown out on one side, is like a historical event frozen
in time.
Once inside, we could see the pews overflowing with the
clothing of the victims in the church and surrounding area. It was hard to miss
the white and red baby shirt sitting on top of one of the piles.
Our guide pointed out a few bags in the back: they were
the remains of new bodies found in the area. To this day, bodies of those
murdered are still being found in pit latrines.
From there, we walked into the basement. In the center
was a glass case filled with fractured and broken skulls. Below that was a
coffin that contained a woman who was tortured before and after her death.
Outside of the church included the graves of two people -
a pastor and a woman who tried to save the Tutsis and alert the world to the
impending genocide. Beyond that was a mass grave for over 50,000 people. All of
us walked below ground to an area containing coffins, skulls, and bones. The
dimly lit hallway was filled from floor to ceiling with the remains of the
victims. Our guide explained to us that some people deny that the genocide ever
happened; the clothes, skulls, and bones are proof of the deplorable event.
We were hit with a lot today. By walking through the
museum and church, we not only learned a great deal but also adopted a new
responsibility. Now that we know what happened 21 years ago in Rwanda, we must go
out into the world and share the truth about the genocide and the people it
affected.
