Prime Minister Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva on Friday, joined government officials and civil servants in commemorating victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi during a visit to Ntarama Genocide Memorial in southeastern Rwanda.
The commemoration brought together employees from ministries and institutions based in the Prime Minister’s Office, alongside families of victims, as Rwanda continues events marking the 32nd anniversary of the genocide.
Officials also paid tribute to former employees of the Ministries of Justice, Infrastructure, and Transport and Communications who were killed during the genocide.
Senior officials present included Justice Minister Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, Infrastructure Minister Dr. Jimmy Gasore, Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement Dr. Jean-Damascène Bizimana, and other government representatives.
At the memorial, speakers reflected on the events at Ntarama, where thousands of people had taken refuge in a church, believing it would offer safety. Many were instead killed inside the church and its surroundings during the genocide.
The memorial site contains the remains of more than 5,000 victims, including over 3,000 people killed at the Ntarama Catholic Church, according to officials.
Survivors and witnesses gave testimonies describing the brutality of the killings, including attacks targeting women and children.
Nsengiyumva said the genocide was not a spontaneous outbreak of violence but the result of deliberate planning and a system that fostered division.
He said public institutions must uphold integrity and unity, warning that failures in accountability and ethics can create conditions that lead to division and violence.
“The way we perform our duties and the values we uphold determine how citizens feel and how they perceive the dignity they are accorded by their government,” he said. “When we fail to carry out our responsibilities with unity and integrity, gaps emerge that can create divisions that may lead to genocide, as our history has shown.”
He urged public servants to ensure the principle of “Never Again” is reflected in daily work through fairness and rejection of discrimination.
Nsengiyumva also praised the former Rwandan Patriotic Army, led by President Paul Kagame, for stopping the genocide and helping restore national unity.
He warned that despite 32 years passing since the genocide ended, Rwanda must remain vigilant against genocide denial, revisionism, and ideology that promotes division.
“There are still those who try to distort our history and sow division among Rwandans,” he said. “We must remain vigilant, both young and old, to defend the truth.”
