Alice Kayitesi, the Governor of the Southern Province, has announced plans to relocate 13,000 bodies of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. These remains will be moved from poorly maintained memorial sites to well-preserved ones in collaboration with IBUKA.
Kayitesi made the announcement during a ceremony to give a dignified burial to 362 remains that were exhumed from mass graves in Musambira Sector, Kamonyi District.
The majority of the bodies to be relocated are from memorial sites in Nyanza and Gisagara districts. In total, they will be moved from 55 memorial sites and mass graves scattered across the province.
She said, “Most of the graves containing these remains are located in Nyanza and Gisagara districts.”
To ensure the historical significance of the original burial sites is not lost, the Governor stated that markers would be installed to preserve the memory of these locations.
She also expressed gratitude to the families of the victims for agreeing to the relocation and assured them that the new burial sites would be permanent, with no future relocations.
Kanyamibwa Callixte, representing the families burying their loved ones that day, mentioned that this was the third time these remains had been reburied. Initially, they were buried temporarily after the genocide, later relocated, and now moved again to a safer location.
He noted that while the process of relocation has been challenging, it brings relief knowing their loved ones will finally rest in a secure and dignified place.
Mwenedata Zacharie, the President of IBUKA in Kamonyi District, emphasized the importance of ensuring the remains are treated with respect during the reburial process. He noted that the remains are often in deteriorated coffins, which must be replaced to ensure proper preservation.
The ultimate goal is to bury the remains in well-maintained coffins within properly managed memorial sites.
A testimony was given by Pastor Uwanyirigira Cyprien, who revealed that the 362 remains exhumed in Musambira belonged to Tutsi victims who had fled there from the former communes of Nyabikenke, Nyamabuye, Taba, and Runda.
