Remains of Genocide victims that were discovered throughout the past year will be laid to rest in different areas.
Rwanda, and friends of Rwanda across the world, will on Sunday, April 7, begin week-long activities to commemorate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that claimed one million lives in just 100 days. This is the 30th commemoration to be held since the massacre.
More than a million people were killed in the carefully planned killings that lasted from April through July 1994.
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This year's commemoration will run under the theme Kwibuka Twiyubaka, loosely translated as Remember-Unite-Renew, but also focus on key achievements registered through Rwanda's 30-year journey to attain unity and sustain growth and development.
Here is what you should know, according to guidelines released by the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement.
1. National commemoration day
The commemoration is expected to start with a lighting of the 'Flame of Remembrance' at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi most likely by President Paul Kagame, which will burn for the next 100 days.
The Head of State has always led the country to kick off the commemoration activities, which are observed by laying wreaths in honour of not only the 250,000 victims interred at the memorial, but also all victims of the Genocide.
On the same day, a national event is scheduled at the BK Arena and will bring together different officials including cabinet members, members of the diplomatic corps, international organisations, Genocide survivors, and youth, among others.
At the event, President Kagame is expected to deliver a keynote address and this, like all scheduled activities, will be aired on national television and live-streamed on other social media platforms.
Similar activities at the district level will be held at district Genocide memorial sites, according to the guidelines.
The commemoration vigil is also expected to be hosted at BK Arena.
2. Community gatherings are not allowed
All community gatherings will not be allowed during this year's commemoration, except on April 7.
Community gatherings at the village level were last hosted before the Covid-19 pandemic, during which citizens came together to participate in discussions around the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi with the intent to prevent a repeat of the atrocity.
The platform also attracted various testimonies from both Genocide survivors and perpetrators.
3. Visiting Genocide memorials
The public will be allowed to visit different Genocide memorials across the country during the week-long activities.
Also, the remains of Genocide victims that were discovered throughout the past year will be laid to rest in different areas during the 100 days of commemoration in different parts of the country, without exceeding the recommended number of mourners -- 20.
According to the guidelines, the memorial sites include Gisozi, Murambi, Bisesero, and Nyamara.
4. Walk to Remember
This year's Walk to Remember will be held on April 11 and will have participants converging at IPRC-Kicukiro.
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The activity conceived in 2009 by the members of Peace and Love Proclaimers (PLP) aims to, among others, empower the youth of Rwanda and around the world to take a stand against genocide.
By using the walk as a platform to educate the youth about genocide, PLP uses knowledge as a means of prevention.
Usually, the Walk to Remember attracts thousands of Rwandans, diplomats, and friends of Rwanda.
5. Youth conference
In a bid to educate youth on how the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was planned, implemented, and can be prevented, there are several conferences scheduled to be aired on Rwanda Television.
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The meetings, according to the guidelines, will feature different speakers and presentations aimed at demonstrating the role of the youth in safeguarding the memory of the Genocide.
6. Nine politicians to be honoured
The closing date of the official commemoration week, April 13, will see the nation honour nine politicians who were killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The politicians, who opposed the Genocidal regime, will have their names and deeds added to the dedicated Genocide Memorial at Rebero.
In an earlier interview, the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), Jean-Damascene Bizimana, emphasised the importance of commemorating not only the atrocities committed by some politicians but also the heroic actions of those who fought against them.
Among the politicians to be honoured are figures like Boniface Ngurinzira, the former Foreign Affairs Minister, who advocated for Rwandan unity during the Arusha peace talks, and Godefroid Ruzindana, the former Kibungo prefect, who stood against the genocidal politics at the cost of his life and his family's.
Other individuals include Jean-Groubert Rumiya, who left his party in opposition to the encouragement of violence against the Tutsi, and Vincent Rwabukwisi, a journalist and politician who used his platform to promote peace and reconciliation.
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In addition, there were three bourgmestres: Calixte Ndagijimana for Mugina, Narcisse Nyagasaza for Ntyazo, and Jean Marie Vianne Gisagara for Nyabisindu commune. They bravely fought against the Genocide in their respective areas and saved Tutsi lives. However, they were killed in horrific ways for their courageous acts of resistance.
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7. Hospitality facilities to remain accessible
Restaurants and hotels will be operational during the week-long national commemoration.
All businesses will open after midday, but as has been the norm, entertainment activities, including sports betting, will be prohibited throughout the commemoration week.
Also to remain open are public offices. Employers have also been encouraged to permit their staff in the event they want to go to given places to pay tribute to their loved ones who were killed in the Genocide.
8. International community to remember
Commemorative activities involving members of the diplomatic corps and international organisations in Rwanda will be conducted between April 8 and 19 to remember and reflect on the role of the international community.
