More remains of genocide victims found in Bugesera

A mass grave containing remains of eight Genocide victims was discovered in a residential area in Nemba Village in Bugesera District on Monday.

Vincent de Paul Rukonge, a resident, said the victims could have been killed while fleeing the pogrom to Burundi.

"This area was not a habitant at the time of the Genocide. It was a woodland, so the victims could have been intercepted while fleeing to Burundi," he said.

Nemba Sector neighbours two districts in Burundi.

"This is disheartening. The remains were dug out by tractors upgrading village infrastructure. I am struggling to come to terms with what I saw. I'm one of those who gathered the remains; I still feel a chill in my body," Rukonge said.

He prayed government to give such victims, whose relatives cannot be traced, a special cemetery.

"The clothes and bodies of the victims could be identified if they had relatives, but it is next to impossible tracing relatives of unidentified remains," Rukonge said.

Identify mass graves

Bugesera mayor Louis Rwagaju confirmed the incident and urged those who know where remains of victims yet to be found were buried to tell authorities so they (the victims) are given a decent burial.

Rwagaju said there were many unknown places where victims were buried in 1994.

"This is one of the challenges we face; not all places where the Tutsi died are known. It is thus our challenge to continue challenging Genocide perpetrators or witnesses to be courageous enough to tell us the truth," Rwagaju said.

Bugesera is one of the districts where the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi started from.

Wednesday 5 June 2013

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