Just
back from Kigali
As
landed at Kigali
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| Staring of my trip to Kigali, at Ngara District |
On
29 December 2012, I took off for a visit to Rwanda, feeling extremely happy as
it was my first time to be in Kigali, Rwanda. I had gone to visit
friends that I met during the first Eastern Africa Youth Conference which took
place in Kenya in February 2012.
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| Rusumo Bridge which bordering Rwanda and Tanzania |
The
first thing that captured my interest in Rwanda was the environmental
cautiousness. At the entry to Rwanda, they check your bags to make sure that
you do not bring in polythene papers. This is something that really amazed me.
The exercise at the border is definitely having an impact as the town of Kigali
is very clean.
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| The City of Kigali during the Christmas is full decorated with Christmas Palm tress as seen in the Picture |
For
the 2 weeks that I was there, I learnt and experienced different things, but
the climax of my learning was on 7 April, 2011, the annual day of Rwanda
Genocide Commemoration. It is a special day for many families who have lost
their families, neighbours and friends. I was impressed by how those taking
part expressed their love to the people who lost their lives and to those who
had major losses. To show love to the deceased, they gather in various places
such as the stadium, to have a moment of silence and to give thanks to God for
their lives.
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| The beauty scene of Nyabugogo area in Kigali, this is one of the Busiest Area in the City as it unite the city with other areas of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. |
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| Nyabugogo Area in Kigali, Rwanda |
One
of Rwanda’s musicians lost all of his family – not just is immediate family but
also his extended family. He is the only one remaining in his whole family
lineage. This really touched my heart and I could not hold back the tears as I
listened to his music. Though I could not clearly understand the language, I
could read the message from his face. It was very touching to see him even
trying to comfort others. This is pure strength and love. But I could tell that
he was still in pain, that he still had love for his country.
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| The Entertainer performing to entertain the today Rwandan citizens , a place is full of peace everywhere and anytime |
During
the mid 90’s, in Rwanda, in the heart of Africa, sprouted immense rivers of
blood in the middle of an inhuman storm of violence.
In this country of 8 million inhabitants, initiated
a conflict, and the feelings of enmity among its ethnic groups grew rapidly.
Two major groups existed, the Hutus, comprised of 85% of the population and the
Tutsis, a minority group represented by 12% of the population.
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| Beautiful People enjoying the Peace full moment during the Night out |
All this began in 1962, when the King Tutsi died and
the Hutus took over the power. There were 134 thousand Tutsis exiled from their
lands, which started strong ethnic tensions among the races.
In 1994, the government Hutu, felt the latent threat
of the invasion of the exiled Tutsis, for which began to organize what would be
the most recent genocide of this contemporary epoch.
The government Hutu of Juvenal Habryrimana
distributed knifes and hoes as murderous arms, and the governmental radios
instilled the racial hatred and ordered the killing and burning of houses in
the Tutsi town. Then it began one of the most heartrending histories of Africa.
The murder of the President of the Rwandese inflamed
the Hutus, so they beheaded and burned the houses of their neighbors. Half a
million women were raped, and the children became orphans.
In only 100 days that the war lasted, it was
estimated that 800 thousand people died between the Tutsis and Hutus.
Today, more than 10 years later, after this
avalanche of death, Rwanda fights by healing the injuries. The main killers
expect and wait for judgment. According to the UNICEF in 2003, 4 thousand
children involved in the killings waited to be judged.
The present government has launched a fight of
Rwanda for all, without difference of ethnic groups. Many learned a profession,
and today they live in liberty and fight to recover and forget their bitter
memories.
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| Everywhere is Peace, Peaceful without borders |
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| Everybody is Peace and Enjoying the Rwanda |
The Rwandan Genocide was a genocidal mass slaughter
that took place in 1994 in the East African state of Rwanda. Over the course of
approximately 100 days (from the assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and
Cyprien Ntaryamira on April 6 through mid-July) over 500,000 people were
killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate.[2] Estimates of the death
toll have ranged from 500,000–1,000,000,[1] or as much as 20% of the country's
total population. It was the culmination of longstanding ethnic competition and
tensions between the minority Tutsi, who had controlled power for centuries,
and the majority Hutu peoples, who had come to power in the rebellion of
1959–62.[3]
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| Beautiful Places for taking a rest after a long working day |
In 1990, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a rebel group
composed mostly of Tutsi refugees, invaded northern Rwanda from Uganda in an
attempt to defeat the Hutu-led government. They began the Rwandan Civil War,
fought between the Hutu regime, with support from Francophone Africa and
France,[4][5] and the RPF, with support from Uganda. This exacerbated ethnic
tensions in the country. In response, many Hutu gravitated toward the Hutu
Power ideology, with the prompting of state-controlled and independent Rwandan
media.
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| Kep and Maintaining taboos and culture during the Marriage Ceremony |
As an ideology, Hutu Power asserted that the Tutsi
intended to enslave the Hutu and must be resisted at all costs. Continuing
ethnic strife resulted in the rebels' displacing large numbers of Hutu in the
north, plus periodic localized Hutu killings of Tutsi in the south.
International pressure on the Hutu-led government of Juvénal Habyarimana resulted
in a cease-fire in 1993. He planned to implement the Arusha Accords.
The assassination of Habyarimana in April 1994 set
off a violent reaction, during which Hutu groups conducted mass killings of
Tutsis (and also pro-peace Hutus, who were portrayed as "traitors"
and "collaborators"). This genocide had been planned by members of
the Hutu power group known as the Akazu, many of whom occupied positions at top
levels of the national government; the genocide was supported and coordinated
by the national government as well as by local military and civil officials and
mass media. Alongside the military, primary responsibility for the killings
themselves rests with two Hutu militias that had been organized for this
purpose by political parties: the Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi, although once
the genocide was underway a great number of Hutu civilians took part in the
murders. It was the end of the peace agreement. The Tutsi RPF restarted their
offensive, defeating the army and seizing control of the country.
Rwanda today has two public holidays commemorating
the incident, with Genocide Memorial Day on April 7th marking the start, and
Liberation Day on July 4th marking the end. The week following April 7th is
designated an official week of mourning.[6]
One global impact of the Rwandan Genocide is that it
served as impetus to the creation of the International Criminal Court, so that
ad hoc tribunals would not need to be created for future incidents of genocide,
crimes against humanity and war crimes.[7] The Rome Statute is the treaty that
established the ICC, and was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Rome on 17
July 1998.[8]
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| The Beauty of the Country |
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