On Saturday, September 21, 2024, members of the GAERG gathered with survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings to commemorate the 79th anniversary of these tragic events. The ceremony took place at the offices of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Rwanda.

The event was organized by the UN’s organizing committee for atomic bomb exhibitions, and this year’s theme is ‘Transmitting the Voices of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the Next Generation.’

A series of commemoration activities began on August 15th, and last Saturday’s event was titled ‘Dialogue with Survivors.’ During this activity, members of GAERG were invited to share their testimonies and resilience journey following the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi

GAERG members also had a chance to hear testimonies from the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and how they dealt with its consequences

In his speech, the president of GAERG, Jean Pierre Nkuranga, began by paying tribute to the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and stressed the importance of such dialogues. “I first take this opportunity to pay my heartfelt tribute to all victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing, and I feel very privileged to be part of this dialogue with the atomic bombing survivors today. From this dialogue, we will learn a lot from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors, mostly on how to cope with the aftermath of such atrocity and how to prevent it from happening again” Said Nkuranga

He continued sharing his testimony, detailing the atrocities that he and his family endured during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and how RPF soldiers rescued him

“On 13th April 1994 when the killers attacked our residential area, I was desperate because I could not run away as my left leg was disabled since my youth days.   As running away from where I was, the only option for my survival, I walked as fast as I could using my 2 metal crutches. Escaping from the killers was almost impossible for me, my family members paid farewell to me and ran to save their lives. When I saw the killers approaching our neighborhood, I was struck by the idea of entering and hiding in one of the bushes close to the road and hiding there for 5 days without eating or moving. I couldn’t believe it, but no one found me until RPF liberated my neighborhood.

On 19th April 1994, I saw the RPF soldiers passing near my hidden place with other survivors, so I decided to get out of the bush. I could not walk because I was very hungry and thirsty, and all the joints of my legs were hurting. However, the RPF soldiers helped me to recover, and I was able to join other survivors in Rwamagana City”

He continued explaining how he and his former classmates at the University of Rwanda started the Genocide Survivors Students’ Association (AERG) in 1996 and later founded the Group of Former Genocide Survivors Students Association (GAERG) in 2003. He concluded by delivering his message of peace, clarifying Rwanda’s direction regarding genocide prevention.

“In Rwanda, we have decided to keep the memory of Genocide against Tutsi to educate and to prevent it from happening again. Genocide survivors have also decided to forgive to contribute to building sustainable peace, saving the nation, and preserving the well-being of future generations. We believe that humanity deserves better and we call upon the entire world to commit to a world free of nuclear weapons!’’ He concluded

The atomic bombings occurred in two Japanese cities: Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, claiming more than 200,000 lives. The country continued to struggle with the effects of atomic radiation exposure for several years afterward. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings commemoration activities will continue until September 30th in different parts of the world.