Prime Minister Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva has declared that the fight against Genocide ideology and its lingering effects is a fundamental responsibility that the government will never abandon. Speaking during the 32nd Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Ngororero District, the Prime Minister noted that Rwanda’s tragic history was fueled by a destructive regime that institutionalized hatred and division.
He emphasized that remembering the victims is not merely a ceremony but a “covenant that every Rwandan shares with them, ensuring that ‘Never Again’ remains a reality.”
Dr. Nsengiyumva highlighted the necessity of remaining vigilant, noting that there are those within the region who do not wish Rwanda well. He cited a 2025 study by MINUBUMWE which ranked Ngororero District 25th in the national index of unity and resilience. Recalling the horrific acts of Father Athanase Seromba, who oversaw the slaughter of 2,000 Tutsis at Nyange Church, the Prime Minister asked: “Do you remember Father Athanase Seromba who killed 2,000 Tutsis at Nyange Church? However, we thank the students of Nyange who refused to segregate themselves based on ethnicity, with some losing their lives; these became heroes and we honor them.”
The event featured harrowing testimony from Annoncée Manirarora, representing IBUKA, who recounted the tragedy of 8,000 Tutsis who sought refuge at the MRND Palace in Ngororero.
She described how Interahamwe militias set the building on fire with gasoline after realizing their initial gunfire had not killed everyone. Manirarora warned that extremist ideology persists in the area, stating: “Even now, here in Ngororero, Genocide ideology still exists because on April 7, 2026, as the 7-day mourning period began, cows belonging to a Genocide survivor were stolen during the night.” She added that on the same day, a resident mockingly asked: “What are those who remember even remembering?”
Manirarora identified former officials of the Habyarimana regime, including Dr. Léon Mugesera, Pascal Gatumba (father of Victoire Ingabire), Léonard Karasira, and Sylvèstre Mudacumura, as the architects who sowed these seeds of hatred in Ngororero. She urged families to take action, saying: “Those who still have relatives in the FDLR should encourage them to return to Rwanda.” The Prime Minister echoed these concerns by referencing the infamous speech by Dr. Léon Mugesera at Kabaya, where he incited Hutus to kill Tutsis and dump them into the Nyabarongo River to send them back to “Abyssinia.”
Appolinaire Rurangwa, who was 10 years old during the Genocide, provided testimony debunking the narrative that the killings were a spontaneous reaction to the shooting down of President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane, noting that Tutsis in Ngororero were being killed and their homes burned long before that event. Recounting his escape from the MRND Palace, he said: “I was with my parents in this MRND Palace; I saw them start to burn those who had fled here, and I escaped through the black smoke.”
Rurangwa shared that despite losing his family, the words of the RPA-Inkotanyi soldiers who rescued him—telling him “to be comforted as he would no longer die”—remains a message that “is more valuable to him than gold.”
The Prime Minister concluded by commending the RPA-Inkotanyi and their Commander-in-Chief, the President of the Republic, for stopping the Genocide and securing the nation. He urged Rwandans to use the mourning week and the 100 days of commemoration as a lesson to continue confronting Genocide ideology without complacency.
