Prez Kagame inaugurates genocide museum as RPF celebrates 30th Anniversary
The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) has marked its 30th Anniversary with the inauguration of a museum as part of the many activities the Rwandan government is carrying out.
The inauguration of the museum forms part of activities the Rwandan government is carrying out as the ruling party celebrating its 30 years of existence.
Addressing the gathering, Senator Tito Rutaremara, one of the RPF core cadres during the inception of the liberation struggle, stated that the museum will be considered as a center of education in prevention against Genocide.
The museum he said will as well showcase the operations carried out during the campaign against genocide in 1994, with major historical periods and iconic artifacts surrounding the liberation struggle of Rwanda.
He added ‘’the museum has been put up at the Parliament due to its use as a protection areas during the 1990-1994 liberation struggle’’.
In a brief history about the museum, it is revealed that two RPF soldiers manning a heavy machine gun which was used to first contain and prevent attempts by the genocide army of the former killer regime to recapture that section of Kigali.
The most moving images are the sickbay where, RPF soldiers were treating victims of the genocide.
According to Bashana, the Campaign against Genocide Museum will co-exist with the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, adding that it will attract more tourists in the country.
On achievements, a founding member of RPF Mr. Rutaremara, stated that after the military struggle, the RPF have establish the rule of law which has attracted investors in the country and setting out a new path of growth and prosperity.
Rutaremara expressed optimism that by 2020, the country would have defeated the war against poverty, saying some achievements are already visible especially with regards to national stability which is the key pillar of RPF.
People he said are working towards improving on their household income because they have now had an identity and dignity that was lost during the genocide.
“From the 1994 Genocide chaos, we can now boast of tangible peace that has enabled our people to work towards prosperity and I am happy they have embraced the home grown solutions to iron out their difference and above all they have taken the issue of unity and reconciliation to re-build Rwanda,” he said.
Memories
“In the night when Habyarimana’s plane was shot, the mood was tense,” he said. A number of theories, rumors and accusations on who killed Habyarimana, Ntaryamira were internationally spread.
However Rutaremara 79, put this accusation to bed, saying: “As we negotiated to have a joint government, some people in the government were not happy about it.
They were actually not in agreement with what President Habyarimana was doing and opposed the agreement signed in Arusha. It is common sense they gunned it down,” he talks about the event as if it just happen yesterday.
According to him, the airplane carrying Habyarimana and Ntaryamira was shot down as it prepared to land in Kigali, Rwanda.
“What happened in the night of the shooting kick started the genocide. The plane also had many high-level Rwandan political and military officials who had accompanied the presidents for the Arusha peace accord meetings,” he said.
Mzee Tito Rutaremara
Asked if he has an idea on who exactly killed the Presidents, he said that a research was done and found out that the people who were at Kanombe camp shot the plane.
“Research was done with the British experts who proved scientifically that people from the Kanombe camp controlled by government’s army, shot down the plane by missiles fired from the ground carrying the two presidents who were coming back home from Tanzania,” he said.
He comments related to the “secret letter “Bashana had explained during the tour.
Every year, Rwanda observes the 100 days of genocide between April and July, to remember over one million people who were killed during the genocide.
David Albert Quainoo
Kigali, Rwanda
