Nyarubuye Genocide Memorial Site in Rwanda, Nyarubuye Massacre

Nyarubuye Genocide Memorial is a site is found 35 kilometers away from the towns of Kibungo and Kirehe districts. This is convent and school where 35,000 people were killed. These people were trying to flee over to the Tanzanian border. In 2003, the school became practical again; the convent, however, remains empty, apart from the bones of the victims, and will be turned into a memorial and education centre. The former Catholic Church, convent and its associated school and buildings of the Benebikira Sisters are a reminder of the horrendous vehemence that occurred at this place during the Genocide against the Tutsi. It is estimated that more than 350,000 people were killed at this memorial between the 14th and 15th of April 1994.

The Nyarubuye massacre is the name given to the killing of an estimated 35,000 civilians on April 15, 1994 at the Nyarubuye Roman Catholic Church found in Kibungo Province about 140 km (87 miles) east of Kigali City. The victims of brutal killings were mainly Tutsis Men, women and children that were said to have been indiscriminately murdered. The attackers purportedly used spears, machetes, clubs, hand grenades plus automatic weapons. The local Interahamwe, acting in collaboration with the authorities used bulldozers to bring down the church structure. The militiamen used machetes and rifles to massacre every person who attempted to run away. The massacre at Nyarubuye was part of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi running from April to July in which more than 1,000,000 people died.

The Nyarubuye memorial centre is just one of Rwanda genocide memorial sites that were set up in commemoration of the 1994 genocide. These genocide memorials museums include Kigali Genocide Memorial, Nyamata Genocide Centre and the Campaign Against Genocide Museum in Kigali. Others are  Murambi Genocide Memorial Museum, Bisesero Genocide Memorial Centre and Nyanza Genocide Memorial Centre.