21.05.2025

Commemorating the Genocide in Rwanda

Visiting the German Embassy in Kigali: Rev Dr John Wesley Kabango (left) joined together with his designated successor, Rev Dr Emmanuel Muhozi (2nd from left), as well as EPR Vice President Rev Julie Kandema (8th from left). They were hosted by German Ambassador Heike Uta Dettmann (5th from left). Photo by: EPR

Memorials in Germany and Rwanda are in exchange about remembrance culture: In the German province of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), there are 32 memorial sites commemorating the National Socialist dictatorship and the genocides it committed. In Rwanda, 172 memorial sites commemorate the genocide against the Tutsi. In both countries, there are Member Churches of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM): they regularly cooperate with the memorial sites, hold worship services on the topic, and contribute to building a democratic society that is free and safe for everyone. In the context of this connection, established through UEM, learning from one another is a great opportunity.

From 23 April to 4 May 2025, 15 representatives of Nazi memorial sites and remembrance initiatives from the German province of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) travelled to Rwanda. The encounter and educational visit took place at the invitation of the EPR*, a member church of the United Evangelical Mission (UEM). It was organised in cooperation with the UEM and supported by the NRW Province Agency for Civic Education.

The aim of the participants from both countries was to learn about both Rwandan and German remembrance cultures, to understand the historical roots of the 1939 - 1945 Holocaust and of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and to engage with the social processes of addressing these events in both countries. The programme also included reflection on the German and Belgian colonial past and its long-term consequences.

The delegation visited key memorials, sites of atrocities, as well as hideouts and escape routes used by survivors. A central part of the journey was meeting with survivors and with members of so-called “Light Groups” who are engaged in reconciliation work between victims and perpetrators. The group also took part in remembrance ceremonies marking Kwibuka 31 (“Remembrance 31”), as well as in Christian services, which play an important role in the Rwandan process of remembrance.

The delegation was accompanied by the Rev. Dr John Wesley Kabango, Rwandan Executive Secretary Division Africa/Germany and member of the UEM Management Team. He stated: “I am deeply grateful to all German participants for visiting our country as part of Kwibuka 31. With great attentiveness and patience, they engaged in depth with the traumatic experiences of the genocide. The entire delegation was deeply moved – both by the personal testimonies and by the determination of the Rwandan people to remember, to renew, and to unite for a ‘never again’.”

The visit also highlighted the vital role churches play in Rwanda: many social, ecological and economic initiatives have been and continue to be launched by the churches. In doing so, they make a central contribution to the healing of society.

All parties agreed to continue the dialogue and to work together on building a long-term partnership between the remembrance initiatives in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rwandan stakeholders and the UEM.

Here you can read our Press Release on the exchange among the memorials.

*EPR = Eglise Presbyterienne au Rwanda (Presbyterian Church of Rwanda)