When Man Turns to Beast ...

Genocide memorial overlooking Kigali.
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by Katherine

The first thing that comes to mind when one mentions Rwanda are the horrific events that unfolded here during the early 1990’s, and certainly no visit to Rwanda would feel complete without visiting at least one of the numerous genocide memorials that are peppered about the country.

As an introduction to the subject, we visited the Kigali Memorial Centre. Here, exceptionally well-presented exhibits evoke powerful emotions as they simultaneously expose the visitor to images of humanity’s brutality and compassion, hatred and love. The exhibit opens with a portrayal of pre-genocide Rwanda as a unified and happy country with much to celebrate. The historical background to the violence is explained, including the divisive colonial encounters in Rwanda and the steady build-up to the genocide. The experience becomes progressively more intense as the visitor is confronted with heart-wrenching scenes and descriptions of the ethnic killings, tear-jerking stories of heroes and survivors, and a feeling of utter helplessness and despair at the injustices suffered by many at the hands of the few.

Never again ....
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The exhibits on the second floor present a moving history of genocide over the past century. The plights of ethnic groups worldwide – Cambodians, Namibians, Yugoslavians, Armenians, and Jews – provide a historical context for Rwanda’s share of this nightmare that humanity is still struggling with. The final exhibit is dedicated to the children who fell victim to the killers’ machetes; life-sized photos accompany descriptions of their best friend, their favourite foods, their last words, and the way in which they died.

Memorial gardens.
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Mass graves have been constructed on the adjacent hillside overlooking Kigali, surrounded by a beautiful rose garden. This proved the perfect place to sit and collect our thoughts as we tried to understand what it is that turns man into beast. Amidst the calm of the gardens – which belied the turmoil in our minds – we questioned whether the people who are inclined to commit such atrocities will ever heed the message intended by these memorials. When it is the victims and sympathizers who have the compassion to endure the emotional torment of remembrance, how will we ever reach the minds of the perpetrators? These thoughts are echoed in the haunting words of genocide survivor Appollon Katahizi: "When they said 'never again' after the holocaust, was it meant for some people and not others?"

Unfinished mass graves.
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As proferred by the author of our Lonely Planet travel guide: "After Rwanda they said 'never again.' In Africa, that means 'a la prochaine' or 'till the next time'."