Rwandan community marks 30 years since genocide, vows not to forget 'lessons of the past'

Hundreds of people marched from Parliament Hill to the Shaw Centre Sunday to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

In 100 days, more than 800,000 Rwandans — most of them Tutsis and moderate Hutus — were slaughtered by the Rwandan military and Hutu militia.

Tarcisse Ruhamyandekwe lost dozens of relatives on both his mother and father's sides of the family.

"It's very important we remember those people and make the world aware of what happened, because we tend to forget and we repeat the same thing," he said.

Ruhamyandekwe said he hopes today serves as a reminder of the importance of speaking out against injustice, no matter where it's happening in the world.

"If someone's dying and you don't care … today it's me. Tomorrow it might be you."

For Tarcisse Ruhamyandekwe, marking 30 years since the Rwandan genocide is also a reminder to never allow something similar to happen again. (Safiyah Marhnouj/CBC)

Thirty years on, the events of the genocide are still fresh in the minds of those who were touched by it.

Sylvie Umutoni was born after it occurred, but said she's seen how generational trauma and mental health issues are still prevalent within survivors and their children.

"It didn't just happen in 100 days. It's been something that we feel constantly, consistently," she said.

Umutoni's parents and brother survived the genocide, as did some of her aunts and cousins. Several of her other family members were killed.

"When we say never again, we don't mean it just in Rwanda,  but we mean it across the world," she added.

Survivor a 'living example of hope'

Several MPs, MPPs, diplomats and city councillors came out to the event in solidarity with the Rwandan community. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe spoke at the event, officially proclaiming April 7 as a day of remembrance.

Growing up as a Tutsi in Rwanda, Chico Kirenga said it wasn't uncommon for him and his family to hear discriminatory slurs or see hateful propaganda — but no one imagined it would turn into "one of the most violent events in human history."

Kirenga was only nine when the mass killings started.

"Gunshots echoed throughout the city of Kigali. As Tutsi, we were hunted," he recalled Sunday.

Kirenga and his family were able to find shelter, but were later discovered by members of the militia. He said his whole family was dragged out from where they were hiding and lined up on the street.

His parents, brothers and sister were killed in front of him.

"I remember that moment like it was yesterday, sitting on the ground waiting for the soldier to load his gun," he said.

Kirenga and his two sisters were the only survivors. They were able to reunite later with his older sister, he said, who was outside of the country at the time.

Kirenga said he finds purpose in sharing his story and educating the younger generation about the horrors of what Rwanda went through.

"Now, 30 years later, I am here. A living example of hope triumphing over despair," he said. "May we never forget the lessons of the past."

Sylvie Umutoni's parents and brother survived the Rwandan genocide in 1994. She was born after the killings, and says the community still deals with generational trauma. (Safiyah Marhnouj/CBC)

'An everyday struggle'

Pascal Kanyemera is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and president of Humura Association, a non-profit created for other survivors who reside in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

Kanyemera told CBC Radio's All In A Day last week that more than a dozen of his family members were killed during the genocide.

"You can imagine thinking about all those people," Kanyemera said. "It's an everyday struggle."

Pascal Kanyemera is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and president of Humura Association. Kanyemera lost more than a dozen of his family members in the genocide. (Radio-Canada)

Kanyemera also said survivors want more action from Canada on finding alleged perpetrators of the genocide who live in the country.

"It's not only for the survivors ... it's a public safety issue as well," Kanyemera said.

Rwanda has previously urged Canada to extradite accused genocide masterminds believed to be in hiding.

In 2012, Canadian authorities deported Léon Mugesera, a Hutu and former politician who was later convicted and jailed for life over the genocide.