Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Dr Jean-Damascène Bizimana, has urged people convicted of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi who are preparing for release to return to their communities with humility and avoid intimidating survivors and witnesses who helped bring them to justice.
Bizimana made the remarks on October 28 at Nyamasheke Correctional Facility, where 533 inmates completed the 10th phase of a rehabilitation programme for people convicted of genocide crimes who are nearing the end of their sentences.
He said some convicts in previous years had returned home boasting about completing their sentences and threatening people who testified against them, behaviour he said showed they had not genuinely changed.
The minister said such incidents were no longer being reported, attributing the change to the rehabilitation sessions introduced in early 2025 to prepare inmates for life after prison.
He urged the graduates to acknowledge their responsibility for the crimes, seek forgiveness from those they harmed and avoid isolation, shame or arrogance when they return to their communities.
“Go home and contribute to helping this leadership. Live peacefully with other citizens. Do not carry shame with you; instead, go with humility,” Bizimana told the graduates.
He also reminded them that some Hutu had refused to participate in the killings during the genocide, urging the convicts to recognise that individuals had choices even amid the divisive politics that preceded the 1994 atrocities.
Sabamahoro Innocent, speaking on behalf of the graduates, thanked President Paul Kagame and the government for providing the programme, saying participants were committed to promoting unity, reconciliation and the fight against genocide ideology.
The programme is designed to help convicts rebuild relationships with their communities and participate in national life after release.
Since it began in early 2025, a total of 2,748 inmates, including 2,544 men and 204 women, have completed the training.
