Rwanda to digitize genocide memorial sites

Rwanda is set to digitize selected genocide memorial sites in the country as part of the efforts to preserve the history of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi and ease visitors’ access to memorials, an official said on Friday.

Jean Damascene Bizimana, minister of national unity and civic engagement, made the remarks during an event to unveil a 10-year funding package for the project in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.

“Digitization will preserve the history and provide visitors with electronic access to all information through videos and audio. It will enable people to visit these memorials without the need for a guide,” said Bizimana.

The move will start with three memorial sites, including Nyange and Murambi in western Rwanda, and Ntarama in the east, but with a target of covering other memorials across the country, according to the minister.

Bizimana said necessary data, including survivors’ testimonies, pictures, information about trials, and other relevant information, has been collected to ensure the successful implementation of the project.

The latest official figures show that there are more than 170 genocide memorial sites in the country. Efforts are ongoing to merge some genocide remains from smaller sites to new standard sites with enough space to preserve genocide history and create a memorial garden in order to ensure their proper preservation.