Students and staff members leaders from the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) visited the Murambi Genocide Memorial in Nyamagabe District, where they were deeply moved by the painful history preserved at the site. The visit strengthened their resolve to combat genocide denial, reaffirming that the truth they witnessed must never be questioned. 

The visit took place on 29^th June 2026 as part of ILPD’s educational programming. During the visit, members of the ILPD community paid tribute to the more than 50,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi laid to rest at the memorial, while deepening their understanding of the Genocide as a core part of their legal education.

A History of Ignored Atrocities

The Murambi Memorial is located on a hill in the former Gikongoro Prefecture, a region that experienced repeated massacres targeting the Tutsi over decades. As early as 1963, more than 20,000 Tutsi were killed there, with many of their bodies thrown into the Mwogo River. Although the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) alerted the international community, these atrocities were largely ignored despite the global commitment, following the adoption of the Genocide Convention that such horrors should never happen again.

In 1994, Gikongoro witnessed one of the darkest chapters of the Genocide against the Tutsi. More than 40,000 Tutsi from the former communes of Karama, Kinyamakara, Mudasomwa, and Nyamagabe sought refuge at what was then an unfinished vocational school. After being deliberately deprived of food and water for several days, they were brutally massacred by soldiers, gendarmes, and members of the Interahamwe militia.

Their bodies were dumped into 14 mass graves excavated by heavy road machinery. Later, French troops operating under Operation Turquoise built volleyball courts over some of the burial sites and used them for recreation an act widely regarded as a profound desecration of the victims' memory.

Tangible Evidence of Truth

Léon Muberuka, an official from the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) stationed at the Murambi Memorial, explained that the site is unique because it preserves raw, physical evidence of the atrocities. He noted it serves as an invaluable learning resource, particularly for young people and law students who bear the responsibility of raising global awareness.

"This memorial displays the preserved remains of 1,200 victims across 24 exhibition rooms," Muberuka explained. "Their bodies remain in the positions in which they died some shielding their heads with their hands, others appearing to plead for mercy. Among them are children, young people, women, men, and the elderly. These are undeniable physical testimonies that the Genocide occurred and that it was meticulously planned."

Dr. Yves Sibo Gahizi, an expert in international criminal law and a lecturer and researcher at ILPD, noted that visiting genocide memorials is deeply meaningful for law students. It allows them to connect emotionally with history while strengthening their commitment to preventing hatred and injustice wherever their legal careers take them.

"These students are future legal professionals and researchers who will serve globally," Dr. Gahizi said. "When they return to their home countries, they will have numerous opportunities to share what they have learned here. They have read about Laurent Bucyibaruta and Aloys Simba in textbooks, but today they visited the exact locations where the crimes associated with those individuals were committed. Many have already expressed their intention to share these lessons through academic blogs and other platforms."

Dr. Gahizi emphasized that because genocide is an international crime, ILPD intentionally includes both Rwandan and international students in these visits to foster a shared global responsibility in prevention.

Legal Professionals as Ambassadors of Justice

Students who participated in the visit expressed that the experience solidified both their understanding of the history and their determination to challenge anyone who seeks to distort it.

Mark Kamukama, an ILPD student from Uganda, shared his perspective:

"I have now seen with my own eyes that the Genocide against the Tutsi truly happened. No one will ever convince me otherwise or attempt to mislead me, because I have personally witnessed the truth at the Murambi Genocide Memorial."

Peace Umugwaneza, another student, added that no one can visit Murambi and remain indifferent to those who twist the facts of history. She pledged to play an active, vocal role in combating denial.

The Rector of ILPD, Dr. Aimé Karimunda Muyoboke, described the study tour as a critical educational experience that reinforces historical truth. He noted that the visit is particularly timely given the resurgence of genocide ideology in parts of the Great Lakes Region, stressing that the youth must be continuously reminded that discrimination, hatred, and ethnic division have no place in society.

"Today, rhetoric promoting genocide ideology is re-emerging in parts of the region, and some young people are being influenced by it," Dr. Muyoboke warned. "Others, especially those from countries far from Rwanda, may simply be unfamiliar with this history. We want all our students to become ambassadors who actively promote messages against discrimination, genocide denial, and divisionism."

Dr. Muyoboke further observed that the justice sector failed profoundly during the 1994 Genocide. He pointed out that gendarmes, judicial police officers, judges, and prosecutors were among those who actively participated in the killings, despite their sworn duty to uphold justice and protect citizens. He emphasized that today's legal professionals have a moral obligation to restore the absolute integrity and credibility of the justice system to ensure such atrocities never happen again.

In addition to the Murambi Genocide Memorial, the ILPD community has previously visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi and the Ruhengeri Court of Appeal Genocide Memorial as part of its institutional commitment to historical remembrance and the promotion of the rule of law.