Kigali, 1 July 2019

Contingents from Tanzania and Uganda who are in Rwanda for one-week East African Community Armed Forces medical outreach this Monday visited both Kigali Genocide Memorial and Campaign Against Genocide Museum to pay their respects to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

At Genocide Memorial and Campaign against Genocide Museum, the two visiting contingents were given a guided tour to learn more about the Genocide against Tutsi and how it was stopped by Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) now Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). 

For the Ugandan contingent led by Colonel Nelson Ahabwe, the Deputy Chief of Civil-Military Cooperation his visit has been a deeply moving experience. The Genocide in Rwanda, Col Ahabwe said, was a grim reminder of the worst aspects of humanity. “I salute this conscious effort and the indomitable spirit of the people of Rwanda. May the departed souls rest in peace,” Colonel Ahabwe observed in a message he left at the Memorial today.

On his part, Col Dr Pius Kishosha, the head of Tanzania contingent said that “I am deeply moved by what I saw here and I hope that this never happens again in East Africa or any other part of the world,” he said. He also noted that the good news is that Rwanda has managed to reconcile all and focus on one destiny. “It is absolutely a big lesson for all of us,” he added.

Speaking to the media, Col Dr Jean Chrysostome Kagimbana, Commandant of Rwanda Military Hospital (RMH) said that exposing contingents from Tanzania and Uganda about Rwanda’s recent dark history would give them a real picture on how Rwanda has succeeded to rebuild from scratch.