Since the start of the 100 days on mourning on 7 April, the Kigali Genocide Memorial has hosted a range of different guests and institutions who come to pay their respects to the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi. The visitors also have the chance to learn about how the memorial is teaching the history of the Genocide and fighting its ideology. On 12 April, the memorial had the privilege of welcoming Rwanda’s Office of the Ombudsman.

Lead by Alysie Cyanzayie, Rwanda’s Ombudsman, 60 members of the Office of the Ombudsman visited the memorial’s exhibition that displays the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and other genocides that have happened around the world.

“We will always remember so that it will never happened again. We will sow seeds of love that will uproot the seeds of hatred that led to your deaths,” Aloysie Cyanzariye, Ombudsman of Rwanda, wrote in the memorial guestbook.

Read the Ombudsman’s message in Kinyarwanda here.

James Musiime, one of the team members at the Office of the Ombudsman said:

“I ask the youth to learn to say ‘no’ to genocide ideology that may be taught to them by their elders. Young people should play a big role in writing the truth about the Genocide against the Tutsi and sharing it through social media.”

About the Office of the Ombudsman

The Ombudsman aims to lead the fight against corruption through public education, prevention and law enforcement. In Kinyarwanda, the Ombudsman is called “Umuvunyi”, a word from the kingdom period where “Umuvunyi” was a person in charge of receiving citizens who wanted to meet a King or an authority for different reasons such as bringing a complaint, thanking them or warning them about an issue. “Umuvunyi” had firstly to listen to those people who want audience with the king or the authority. It was then up to them to know if that person has to meet the King or the Authority or if he/she has to be oriented to another relevant organ.