Kigali Genocide Memorial welcomed Dr. Smaïla Ouedraogo, the Minister of Youth of Burkina Faso to learn about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and to pay his respects to the victims.

Dr. Smaïla Ouedraogo began his visit with a viewing of a short film detailing the Memorial’s History and its significance to the survivors of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Following this, the Minister was guided through the exhibits in the museum, learning the entire story of the genocide, from the colonial roots of ethnic divisions, through to the horrors of the killings.

Mr. Ouedraogo also had the opportunity of seeing exhibits pertaining to other genocides that have happened in the not-so-distant past, and the extremely moving ‘Our Future Lost’ children’s exhibit. Finally, he had the opportunity to learn about the efforts by Rwandans of all ages and from all walks of life to rebuild and reconcile after the Genocide and the work that the Aegis Trust is doing to promote unity in Rwandan Society. To conclude his visit, Mr. Ouedraogo left a message in the memorial guest book.
He wrote:

“Peace is what we should advocate for whatsoever the context, whatsoever moment. Whatsoever time”

Sharing his impression, Mr. Ouedraogo applauded Rwandans for their strong belief in humanity after a harrowing experience of 1994.

“After seeing what they went through, I applaud the People of Rwanda for not losing faith in Humanity knowing that such atrocities have been done by fellow Rwandans”

He added that this experience should serve as a lesson to everyone including young people:

“My message to the Rwandan youth is to find inspiration through this and become champions of Humanity to prepare a brighter future for Rwanda and for the whole Africa”

About the Kigali Genocide Memorial

The Kigali Genocide Memorial is a tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda, during which around 1 million Rwandans were killed in 100 days. The site of the memorial is the resting place of more than 250,000 of these victims. It serves as a symbol of remembrance, as well as a place of education – in order to remind the world of the necessity of preventing such atrocities from being repeated in the future. Established by the Aegis Trust in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and the Kigali City Council, the memorial has been running since its construction in 2004, and receives nearly 100,000 people annually.