Rwanda: Genocide Widows Struggle to Forgive Killers

interview

The month of July officially marks the end of the mourning period for genocide victims in Rwanda. Between April - July, different activities are held countrywide to remember victims.

For 100 days, from April 7- July 4, Hutu militias went on a killing spree of Tutsis. It was not until the rebels led by current president Paul Kagame stopped the genocide. A quick estimate by aid organizations put the number of victims at 800,000 but official figures say more than a million Tutsi were killed a figure that was approved by UN Security Council resolution 2150. Twenty-five years on, genocide widows are yet to come to terms with the tragedy that claimed their husbands. Some have chosen to remain single and take care of their children. But in a country that has pushed for unity and reconciliation, why has it not been easy for the widows to deal with the loss of their husbands? Many want perpetrators to meet with them face to face and apologize rather than the government to push them to forgive. DW's Isaac Mugabi spoke to Chantal Umuhoza, a feminist and activist. She is also the Executive Director of SPECTRA, an organization of young feminists that among others, supports widows.

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