The Nyamata Genocide Memorial is a national memorial and World Heritage Site in Rwanda commemorating the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi ethnic group. It is based around a former church in the town of Nyamata , roughly 30 km (19 mi) south of the capital of Kigali , where thousands of Tutsi were killed. The remains of 50,000 people are buried there.
7-658: The memorial is based around a former church which is about 30 km (19 mi) south of Kigali in Rwanda, which commemorates the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda. It is one of six national memorial sites in Rwanda that commemorate the genocide. The others are the Murambi Memorial Centre , Bisesero Genocide Memorial Centre , Ntarama Genocide Memorial Centre , Kigali Genocide Memorial , and Nyarubuye Memorial. There are over 250 registered memorial sites that commemorate genocide in Rwanda. The genocide against
14-410: A local church. However, the bishop and mayor lured them into a trap by sending them to the technical school, claiming that French troops would protect them there. On April 16, 1994, an average of 65,000 Tutsis traveled to the school. Once the victims arrived, no water or food was provided. This was done to ensure the people were too weak to resist. After defending themselves for a few days using stones,
21-477: Is one of six major centres in Rwanda that commemorate the 1994 genocide against Tutsi in Rwanda . The others are the Kigali Memorial Centre , Ntarama Memorial Centre and others at Nyamata Genocide Memorial Centre , Bisesero Memorial Centre and Nyarubuye . This was the site of a massacre during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. When the killings started, Tutsis in the region tried to hide at
28-616: The Tutsi in Rwanda began in April 1994. Many Tutsi people gathered in churches, which were considered safe places. About 10,000 people gathered there and locked themselves in. The attackers made holes in the walls of the church so that grenades could be thrown into the church, after which the rest were shot with guns or killed with machetes . Most of the remains have been buried but clothing and identity cards are left. The identity cards were what identified people as either Tutsi or Hutu. People in
35-478: The Tutsi were overrun on April 21. The French soldiers disappeared and the school was attacked by Hutu Interahamwe militiamen. Some 20,000 Tutsi were murdered at the school, and almost all of those who managed to escape were killed the next day when they tried to hide in a nearby church. The death toll of around 50,000 given by the government is not supported by the number of bodies exhumed, even considering yet to be opened graves and unburied bodies. According to
42-574: The guide at the memorial, the French brought in heavy equipment to dig several pits where many thousands of bodies were placed. They then placed a volleyball court over the mass graves in an attempt to hide what happened . Among the bodies currently displayed are those of children and infants. Only 34 people are thought to have survived the massacre in Murambi. The memorial was founded on 21 April 1995. The site contains 50,000 graves. The school building
49-535: The surrounding area were also killed after the massacre at the church. The remains of 50,000 people are buried here. In 2023, the memorials at Nyamata and three other locations were officially made World Heritage Sites by UNESCO . Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre The Murambi Technical School , now known as the Murambi Genocide Memorial Centre , is situated near the town of Murambi in southern Rwanda . This Memorial Center
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