On 14th April 2013, for the first time Rwandans living in UK organised remembrance services to honour all the victims, Hutus, Tutsis, Twas and foreigners who were killed during the 1994 Genocide and all the war crimes and crimes against humanity that befell the great Lakes Region from 1990 up to now.
In Manchester, about 100 Rwandans gathered for the church service at St Brigid Catholic Church. They sang mourning songs and prayed for the victims. They then convened to share their experiences. The unique nature of this event was that participants were from the two main Rwandan ethnic groups, Hutus and Tutsis. There were former soldiers from the RPF and the Ex-FAR, the then two parties in conflict. We heard Tutsis recounting the horrible situations they found themselves in when they were being hunted down by those that they considered to be their closest friends. We also heard Hutus explaining how they were hunted down by RPFs soldiers before and after the genocide. One terrifying testimony was by a survivor of the Congo wars who jumped into a river full of crocodiles in Congo because the RPF soldiers were killing everybody around. He preferred to die under the crocodiles' teeth rather than being tortured by his countrymen.
Many people expressed their relief. One participant confessed "When I was in Rwanda under the current government, although I was very young in 1994, I really felt as second class citizen in my own country. Fear was our modus vivendi, we did not have right to remember our families who were killed by RPF soldiers in Kibeho in 1995. I am at least happy that I am free to remember them now". Others called it a dream like one who said: "After what I went through during the 1994 genocide when Hutu militias massacred all my family, I could not believe that Hutus and Tutsis would one day seat together and comfort one another while sharing their experience. After all I did not believe that Hutus also suffered .This is a God's blessing". Emotions were high; at one time many people cried at the same time and were comforted by their colleagues around them. There was a clear and real sense of togetherness and brotherhood.
The exchange was remarkably friendly and in the end everybody was saying "Never again". They all committed to mobilise more Rwandans from both communities because for them, reconciliation is possible in Rwanda but if and only if truth is said about what happened and all the victims are given proper respect without discrimination. They also expressed their wish that all the perpetrators be punished. All this requires a proper dialogue between the Rwandan people whose main objective would be truth telling and forgiveness. They urged the current Rwandan Government to embrace their initiative and allow all Rwandans, together and in their different communities, mourn their relatives who were victims of those barbaric atrocities. That way, the "Never again" will cease to be a political slogan but become reality for all Rwandans.
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