Decision 45 COM 8B.51

Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero (Rwanda)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC/23/45.COM/8B.Add and WHC/23/45.COM/INF.8B1.Add,
2. Inscribes Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero, Rwanda, on the World Heritage List on the basis of criterion (vi);
3. Takes note of the following provisional Statement of Outstanding Universal Value:
   
   

   Brief synthesis

   The Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994 is a highly notable event due to its intensity – the number of people exterminated in a relatively short period of time –, and its modality – pre-meditated and organised extermination of civilians by neighbours, family members and militias. The Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda has been influential at a global level in the process of creation of the International Criminal Court (2002), through the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (1994-2015). In order to remember the Genocide in Rwanda, the United Nations General Assembly has established the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda on April 7, recalling the importance of early warning and prevention of mass atrocities and the need for the international community to intervene in situations of genocide.

   The Genocide Memorial Sites: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero represents the material evidence of the genocide committed against the Tutsis in Rwanda. This serial property signifies a place of reconciliation, remembrance and peaceful reflection, and plays an educational and reconciliatory role in promoting a culture of peace and dialogue. All four sites bear witness to the last genocide of the 20th century and have existed as sites of memory since the genocide was halted in July 1994. Since then, Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero have become exceptional sanctuaries of memory, but also places of meditation, gathering and collective mourning. These silent edifices are both a symbol of the destructive power man has invented, and a hope for peace and tolerance.

   Criterion (vi): The Outstanding Universal Value of the four genocide memorial sites lies in their association with the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi (massacres of more than million Tutsi in 1994 by Hutu extremists) which took place there. The genocide against the Tutsi is an event of global significance (Crime against Humanity) and whose impact was felt far beyond national borders to present and future generations. The four memorial sites are also associated with the genocide ideology which was conceived, taught and spread by the political regimes in Rwanda since 1950s. Indeed, the genocide memorial sites of Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero are not only the places where the killings took place, they also preserve bodies of thousands of killed Tutsi as well as other genocide evidence (Victims’ clothes, belongings, weapons). Furthermore, the four memorial sites remind the atrocities committed in the 20th century of on one side, but also contribute to memory, unity, reconciliation and peace among people and countries (Never again). The four sites were selected to represent many more across the whole country because they reflect the depth of the horrors and suffering that are found in other sites of memory of similar nature.

   Integrity

   The four memorial sites proposed for inscription possess and retain complete necessary elements that underpin their outstanding universal value which is made of tangible memory (material evidence of the genocide committed against the Tutsi in Rwanda) and intangible memory (values above-mentioned). They are preserved in their intact status because no amputation of all or part of their constituent elements was made on constituent elements. Furthermore, the proposed memorial sites are not exposed to development projects that could threaten their integrity because the Government of Rwanda has established the legislation protecting the memorial sites and their buffer zones.

   Each of the four memorial sites presents a set of attributes sufficient to convey the context of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994: All elements needed to understand the values conveyed by the memorial sites are still present, within the boundaries of the areas concerned. In addition, the size of each memorial site allows visitors to see and understand the scenarios of the events that took place there. 

   Authenticity

   The cultural values of the sites are truthfully and credibly expressed through their use and function.  Indeed, they retain their functional authenticity as places of memory, contemplation and reflection on unity and reconciliation, peace and tolerance, education, and the elimination of all forms of atrocity. Furthermore, their form, design, materials, substance and location, spirit and feeling have remained intact, as evidenced by their unchanged location since 1994 (Nyamata and Murambi), 1998 (Bisesero) and 2000 (Gisozi), when the buildings were erected to add value to the sites which date back to 1994 as sites of the massacres where the bodies of the victims were preserved.

   The conservation activities carried out on several occasions at the Murambi and Nyamata sites have not affected their authenticity but, on the contrary, contribute to the preservation of the sites' attributes. Indeed, the genocide memorial sites reflect the social and cultural characteristics that have always characterized the victims' way of life, the discriminatory policy that forced the Tutsis to live in isolation and in fear of being killed. Accounts of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsis were gathered in an inclusive and diversified manner. Testimonies were collected from genocide survivors to document their experiences throughout the period of persecution. Narratives were collected from the actors of the genocide to understand the political and/or social mechanisms and factors that drove them to kill their compatriots. Other accounts were gathered during sessions of the traditional courts. Testimonies were gathered from the Righteous to understand their motivations and the reasons for their resistance at the most dangerous times for them and their families. Consultations were held with elders and sages to understand the historical context in which the hatred that led to the Tutsi genocide developed.

   Protection and management requirements

   The four sites are particularly protected by the Law Nº 28/2016 of 22/7/2016 on the preservation of cultural heritage and traditional knowledge as well as the Ministerial order classifying them on the National tangible cultural heritage List. In addition, regularly updated management plans serve as strategic tools to manage, protect and monitor elements of the serial nominated property; to build capacity with mechanisms involving local communities in site planning, management and protection. 

   The management of the four genocide memorial sites Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINIUBUMWE) in accordance with Prime Ministerial Order nᵒ 011/03 of 24/07/2023 determining the mission, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement. MINUBUMWE manages and preserves these sites using material, financial and human resources provided by the government. Each site has its own managers, governed by civil service statutes, who manage the sites on a day-to-day basis.

4. Recommends that the State Party give consideration to the following:
   1. Mapping the key attributes for the component parts of Gisozi and Bisesero in order to define and support the conservation and management strategies at these two serial component parts,
   2. Documenting all key attributes for all four component parts of the serial property and preparing a baseline for its conservation, management and monitoring,
   3. Providing updated information as regards the designation of the component parts as national cultural heritage,
   4. Providing the updated management plan including disaster risk management protocols and a visitor and interpretation strategy that is participatory and inclusive of all relevant actors,
   5. Incorporating Heritage Impact Assessments into the planning framework of the buffer zones and wider setting of the property,
   6. Developing a monitoring system that includes key indicators that are related to the key attributes and main threats;
5. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2024 a report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session.