Campaign Against Genocide Museum (CAG) in Rwanda
The Campaign Against Genocide Museum is positioned in the Parliamentary building in Kigali, the Capital City of Rwanda. The museum is just 800 meters behind the conventional center road point and 4.9 kilometers or 9 minutes’ drive from Kanombe International Airport. This museum was opened formally on 13th December 2017 by President Paul Kagame. This Rwandan tourist attraction is one of the genocide memorial centres in Rwanda as well as being among the tourism places in Kigali City.
The Campaign Against Genocide Museum is set up in the Parliamentary premises once known as Conseil National de Development. This is the building that hosted the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) politicians plus the 600 man protection force (3BN). These were at the premises from 28th December 1993 as they were in arrangements for the installation of a Broad Based Transitional Government along with the National Transitional Assembly. The 600 man protection force or the (3BN) were the person given the order first on 07/04/1994 by the RPA Chairman of High Command Major General Paul Kagame to come out from their initial positions to defend themselves and also rescue the victims of Genocide in their areas as the campaign against genocide began.
The Museum depicts in specifics of how the Campaign Against Genocide Plan was implemented by RPF/A. This was after the withdrawal of UN troops who left the vulnerable Tutsi under the sympathy of the killers. It also tells how the RPF/A forces in the war of liberation took a unanimous decision to stop the Genocide, rescue the victims and defeat the enemy forces. This Museum also has its outside part encompassing monuments like the 12.7mm Machine Gun used by RPF/A to repel and containing advancing forces of the killer.
If you are in Kigali for the first time, it is recommended that you visit this wonderful museum and learn about the history of Rwanda. The museum narrates the story of brave men and women of the RPF who launched the campaign to stop the last genocide of the 20th century, the genocide against Tutsi in 1994. These gallant audacious fighters did so upon detecting that the international community and the entire world had abandoned Rwanda during the war only to watch as the Tutsi people were being killed massively. This anti-genocide is a commanding story that can only be communicated by Rwandese as well as the RPF cadres. The crusade against genocide is a story of patriotism, sacrifice, and selfless services by the troops of Rwanda and efforts executed to save the fast-growing beautiful country.
Why is the Campaign Against Genocide Unique?
The Rwanda Genocide lasted 100 days that is from April 7th to July 4th in 1994. During this period of 3 months and 10 days, about a million lives perished at the hands of the ruthless and reckless killers. If the RPF had not stood boldly to fight the evil forces of the genocide regime, the countrywide holocaust would have continued for some longer time. More people would have died to the satisfaction of the killers especially after realizing that the Tutsi numbers had been depleted tremendously.
Visiting the Museum
On arriving at the tourist site, you will allocated a tour guide to take you around the entire place. The place has tour guides fluent in local Kinyarwanda, English and French. The tour may last for about two hours is always very informative and educative.
Whereas the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center in Gisozi tells a story of how genocide happened right from its planning to the final execution, this anti-genocide museum explains how it was stopped by the brave heroes of the Rwandan Patriotic Front. During the tour, you would also have a documentary ( the 600 Film), which tells the great courageous story of RPF forces in fighting to stop the genocide in Rwanda.