Rwanda, a country forsaken

By Andrew Israel Kazibwe

A story that grew from, just the few, not spared but survivors, to even perpetrators, who on even outside prison cells live to tell in confession of what surpassed.

Like a dark cloud it came, unannounced it dwelled onto and among the small country. No one knew its impact, so deep that it is further felt among.
Like any normal day, and days that followed, what we today call a story went on…Like any normal day, Rwandans woke up, planned to slay,and get rid of Rwandans- yes themselves. Slaying, clobbering, butchering, raping, lynching, burying, insulting became ‘Jobs’ that many answered to, why?, maybe for rewards of money, pieces of land-that would bring satisfaction forever to them, yet for long the country’s neighbours and the international community watched distantly.

So with and through the same language they interrogated each other, and on further slitting of a throat to more throats, blood, red in colour spilled the floors, grounds and onto streets-yet not convinced they were still.

The story of the Rwandan 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis is horrific, so terifying- it was the beasts within individual humans which were unearthed, that they took over these feeble bodies. The act that even entered even the churches, that taking refuge, or shelter was one of the deadly options soughted. Church leaders took a lead and instead consoled congregations towards death gallows. The church abused too, yet souls were left in despair.

From souls which live to this day in pain, girls raped who are women today, the once normal but disabled today, orphans, the homeless, traumatised, yet some Rwandans who fled to diaspora in search and in hope for peace face further wrath and discrimination and were stuck in between. Some sore never to return home, after what they survived or experienced!

Shattered the Rwandan culture became, with almost no one of the old generation left behind to tell, nurture or teach of the long cherished culture. To diaspora many ran, have returned yet more still are born and live

Rwanda is still, and is in the gradual process of healing its deep wounds, on a path to and through reconciliation, building further emotionally and spiritually, a fresh start to the search for humanity, identity and belonging.

Its a successful story sofar, finding its way forward, that many out there can hardly belived- even with this dawn of sprouting technology… Rwanda is more than Genocide and Gorillas(which it has lately been known for through tourism), but more…Yes, go on Rwanda, stand tall and tell your story, a new story of prosperity.

Andrew Israel Kazibwe is an African Rwandan-based freelance Journalist , a learner, Arts enthusiast and advocate. Passionate about what goes on within lives, he shares whats within, around and closer to you. Its an Insight!!!