Genocide: the changing landscape of memory in Kigali

Abstract

This paper reflects on the memory of the genocide in Rwanda from two angles. First, through the literary project, ‘Rwanda: Writing as a Duty to Memory’, in which I was involved along with nine other African writers and also through the Gisozi Memorial Museum in Kigali which is one of the main official forms of representation of the genocide. I shall not look at all the other constructions of memory, namely through fine arts, music and cinema.

Keywords:

• Rwanda
• Hutu
• Tutsi
• genocide
• Gisozi Memorial Musem
• personal memory
• collective memory
• historical memory
• ‘Rwanda: Writing as a Duty to Memory’

Notes

1. The writers were: Abdourhaman Waberi from Djibouti, Boubacar Boris Diop from Senegal, Monique Ilboudo from Burkina Faso, Tierno Monemembo from Guinea, Nocky Njedamoun and Koulsy Lamko both from Chad, Jean-Marie V. Rurangaw and Vénuste Kayimahé both from Rwanda, Meja Mwangi from Kenya, and myself from Côte d'Ivoire. The film-maker was Samba Felix Ndiaye from Senegal and the artist Bruce Clarke from South Africa.

2. ‘Certes, nous avons réagi quatre ans après le génocide. Mais au Rwanda, j'ai bu mon échec d'homme jusqu'à la lie. Il était nécessaire de montrer aux Rwandais notre solidarité d'Africains. Et de lutter contre l'oubli, à notre façon, avec l'écriture’ (Njedamoun 2000). My translation into English.

3. Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre, Bisesero Genocide Memorial Centre, Ntarama Genocide Memorial Centre, Ntarama Genocide Memorial Centre, Nyarubuye Genocide Memorial Centre and Nyamata Genocide Memorial Centre.

4. See http://www.kigalimemorialcentre.org/old/index.html.