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Over 2,073 Rwandan genocide victims discovered in mass graves to be given decent burial

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The commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide on April 9 has afforded over 2,073 victims of the carnage to be given a decent burial after their remains were discovered in mass graves in the Huye District.

According to local media, the remains of the victims, largely from the Tutsi ethnic group, were discovered under a house and a field.

A local tabloid reported that the first six bodies were discovered in October 2023 as workers were building a fence around the compound that belongs to a one Jean Baptiste Hishamunda in Ngoma sector.

“Neighbours and the owners of the home had concealed information about the victims’ whereabouts for a long time,” according to city officials.

Ange Sebutege, the Mayor of Huye District who supervised the exhumation of the remains, told journalists on Monday that the victims of the 1994 genocide will get a decent burial on April 30 in Ngoma Genocide memorial during a commemoration activity that is planned.

He added that the land where the bodies were exhumed is being prepared to establish a symbol that massacres were committed during the pogrom.

The area, according to Sebutege, was inhabited by soldiers of the genocidal regime, two of whom are said to have committed genocide crimes including the son of Hishamunda, who is currently serving a sentence in Huye prison after pleading guilty.

“Despite pleading guilty he never shared information about the victims’ remains dumped in mass graves at his home.

“The suspects being pursued for concealing the information include 86-year-old Jean Baptiste Hishamunda, Seraphine Dusabemariya, 61 , Petero Habimana, 89, Mariani Musasangohe, 50, Marie Josee Uwabega, 53, and Mediatrice Uwimana, 54,” Sebutege said.

“Others like Sifa Nyirakiromba, 68, was released while the six suspects will be arraigned in court.

“Dusabemariya, Musangangohe, and Uwabega are children of Jean Baptiste Hishamunda, while Habimana and Uwimana are neighbours of Dusabemariya,” he stated.

According to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), there is an increase in crimes related to concealing, destroying, eliminating, or degrading evidence or information relating to genocide, which saw a rise of 120 percent.

“However, this increase is viewed positively by RIB, as it signifies a growing awareness of the legal impact associated with withholding crucial information regarding genocide.

“This surge in cases, from 44 in 2019 to 97 in 2023, demonstrates progress, as individuals are increasingly disclosing the whereabouts of genocide victims’ remains, thus contributing to the process of healing and reconciliation,” according to RIB.

Culture

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

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Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.

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Culture

Miss SA opens up on why she withdrew from Miss Universe pageant

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Reigning Miss South Africa 2024, Mia le Roux, has opened up on the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Mexico, where Nigeria’s Chidinma Adetshina was the first runner-up.

While narrating her experience in a video she shared on social media on Wednesday, le Roux said her body was taking so much physical strain.

“Hello everyone, I’m back in South Africa and wanted to reach out to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes, your support and prayers,” she said in the video.

“I wanted to be transparent with you and share my story. A lot of you would’ve seen the video that I made about vertigo, while I was in Mexico at Miss Universe.

“Vertigo is a condition where it feels like you are dizzy and there’s a sense of the world spinning around you. It’s very intense and can cause major issues with your imbalance.

“Mentally I was very strong, I was ready, but physically, my body was taking strain. I had to even seek medical help in Mexico City. And even after the medical help, my condition still wasn’t improving.”

She added that during the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe, she had continued to push herself but her vertigo intensified and it became unmanageable.

She stated that while she was waiting backstage, she fell repeatedly and couldn’t stand up without support and was not in a position to safely walk on stage.

“It was not easy. As I was not doing it just for myself but for all of you in South Africa,” she said.

“I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa, to support and uplift those who come after me. With my unbreakable spirit and an exciting year ahead, I will keep fighting for myself and for everyone with dreams and passions. I am so proud to still be your Miss South Africa,” she added.

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