05.04.07 - RWANDA/GENOCIDE - IBUKA MOBILIZES FOR THE COMMEMORATION OF THE GENOCIDE

Kigali, 5 April 2007 (FH) – Thirteen years after a genocide which caused one millions victims according to rwandan authorities, the main Rwandan survivors association, IBUKA, undertook efforts to mobilize all inhabitants, using a very dense network which covers all local instances. “We want to mobilize as much as possible all the basic authorities, all our decentralized structures up until the level of districts. It’s the best way to insure the attendance of the whole population in this 13th genocide commemoration, whose number of participants is already promising”, the person in charge of the section “Memories and Documentation” within IBUKA explains. The official theme of this 13th commemoration will be “Keeping the memory of the genocide alive in supporting the survivors and insuring the implementation of justice”. “The choice of the themes for the conferences was itself the object of long and plodding consultations, re-assuring the uniformity of the message” another member of the association affirms. The subject will be “Let’s eradicate the genocide ideology and its consequences”, “Gacaca and safety of survivors and witnesses”, “The International Community responsibility in the Rwandan genocide”, “The French responsibility”, “The cowardice of the United Nations” and others. At the same occasion, IBUKA, with the support of the Rwandan State, would like to use this 13th commemoration to fulfill its duties towards the genocide victims. It will take care of the inhumation of the remains of thousands of victims, it will conduct visits and give advice, and construct shelters for the most destitute survivors. Officially this commemoration is from 7 to 13 April. IBUKA wants to make it run 100 days, the same period of time that the genocide of Tutsis lasted, until 22 July. According to the official calendar, the opening will be on 7 April at the MURAMBI memorial site and the closing, on 13 April at Rebero Mont where the “Justes” of the Rwandan genocide are laid to rest. ESR/PB/CV © Hirondelle News Agency