A Genocide against the tutsi Museum under construction in Kinazi Sector, Ruhango District, is set to feature a powerful exhibition dedicated to exposing the architects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The museum, located in the Amayaga region, will include a special room known as the “Chambre Noire” (Black Chamber), designed to document and highlight individuals who planned, organized, and directed the systematic killings. Officials say the space will serve as a reminder that many suspects remain at large, while also supporting survivors in their pursuit of remembrance and healing.
“We are still carefully planning the different sections of the museum, and they have not yet been finalized. However, among them is the ‘Black Chamber’,” Ruhango District Mayor Valens Habarurema told The New Times.
The museum will also feature a memorial garden, “Jardin de Mémoire”, offering visitors a place for rest and reflection, particularly during commemoration periods.
Preserving Amayaga’s History
Set for completion later this year, the museum will preserve the history of the genocide in the former Ntongwe Commune, one of the areas that witnessed some of the most brutal massacres in Amayaga. Ruhango District already hosts four major genocide memorials — Kabagari, Mbuye, Ruhango, and Kinazi — together commemorating more than 97,000 victims. The new museum will complement these sites by providing detailed accounts of how the genocide unfolded locally and nationally.
Inside the “Chambre Noire”
According to Jeanne d’Arc Mukaruberwa, president of Ibuka in Ruhango District, the chamber will spotlight notorious perpetrators from the area, including Charles Kagabo, Zephanie Kanyandekwe, Nyandwi, and Eustache Gakuba.
Kagabo, the former bourgmestre of Ntongwe Commune, remains at large 32 years after orchestrating mass killings. Survivors accuse him of leading militias that slaughtered thousands in Ntongwe and neighboring Mugina Commune, often working with Burundian refugees recruited and incentivized by local leaders. In 2008, a Gacaca court sentenced him to life imprisonment in absentia.
The Amayaga Genocide Survivors Foundation (AGSF), which has been instrumental in preserving this history, has called for renewed efforts to bring fugitives to justice. Evode Munyurangabo, president of AGSF, said the “Chambre Noire” will display photographs and profiles of suspected masterminds, including those who have never faced trial.
“The aim is to deepen public understanding of the genocide while supporting survivors in remembrance and healing,” Munyurangabo explained.
A Space for Learning
Young people in the district have also emphasized the need for accessible spaces to study this history in depth. Emmanuel Gikundiro, a local youth, called for a dedicated library or learning center within the museum to allow future generations to engage with detailed information beyond brief explanations.
As construction progresses, the museum is expected to become a year-round destination for visitors, researchers, and survivors — a place where remembrance, justice, and education converge to ensure that the history of the genocide against the Tutsi is preserved and never forgotten.
