Kwibuka 32 : UR community honors memory and renews the resolve to shape the future

For the 32nd commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, the University of Rwanda community gathered at Huye Campus to honor 563 victims laid to rest at the campus memorial site. In the lead-up to the main event, activities included a night vigil and a “Walk to Remember” through Huye town.

During the night vigil, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kayihura M. Didas, expressed deep regret that a national university failed Rwanda at a critical moment in history, urging hearts to rise and rebuild a better future from a tragic past. He emphasized that only a united, relentless stand against genocide ideology can truly honor that duty. Kayihura also lamented that a university ; meant to be a gathering place for intellectuals and a model of society’s highest values ; became a scene of unimaginable atrocity, describing it as a profound disgrace to the country.

Looking ahead, the Vice Chancellor underscored the university’s critical mandate : to instill proper values in the young generation entering campus, champion lasting peace, and actively contribute to building a country that everyone desires to live in.

In her testimony, a survivor who was then a medical student at the former National University of Rwanda recounted the Genocide against the Tutsi with piercing clarity. She narrated the tragic scenes she and her colleagues went through as they were moved from place to place by killers, and commended the courage of those who managed to save her and a few colleagues.

In her remarks, the Chief Justice and Guest of Honour, Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, conveyed a message of comfort to survivors and urged solidarity during the commemoration period.

“Commemoration is a time to honor victims and reflect on Rwanda’s painful history, so that lessons guide the building of a united, inclusive country free from discrimination and division,” she said.

She also noted that the Genocide was enabled by long-standing policies of division and discrimination, revealing that even educated individuals participated ; proving that knowledge without values is dangerous.

In his address, Dr. Philbert Gakwenzire, a historian at the University of Rwanda, reflected on the painful truth that, despite the presence of United Nations troops at the onset of the Genocide against the Tutsi, their withdrawal left a nation unprotected. This culminated in the loss of over a million lives. Gakwenzire concluded that Rwanda’s history belongs to all Rwandans, and so does the responsibility to tell it truthfully and relentlessly. While the past cannot be changed, it must guide transformation and shape a better future.

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