Dr. Bizimana made the remarks on June 13, 2026, while joining members of the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda (EPR) and residents of Karongi District in the 32nd commemorating of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at the Kirinda Memorial Site.
The commemoration honored the victims who were massacred on April 14, 1994, at Kirinda Hospital and the neighboring School of Nursing, where thousands of Tutsi had sought refuge.
According to historical records, only one person survived the killings. The victims’ bodies were later thrown into the Nyabarongo River.
Speaking during the event, Dr. Bizimana recalled reviewing statements issued by various churches during the genocide period. He specifically referred to a declaration published in May 1994 by four Catholic bishops and eight Protestant church leaders following a meeting aimed at discussing ways to end the violence in Rwanda.
He criticized the statement for failing to recognize the Genocide against the Tutsi and instead portraying the violence as killings committed by both sides.
“They avoided using the term genocide. They claimed that both sides were killing each other and called on the RPF to stop the war, arguing that if fighting ceased, government forces would restore security for Rwandans,” Dr. Bizimana said.
He noted that the same government forces being entrusted with restoring security were actively involved in the extermination of Tutsi civilians.
The minister further emphasized that no religious denomination was exempt from responsibility, as perpetrators of the genocide were found among both church leadership and ordinary believers.
“There is no church that did not have leaders, pastors, bishops, or ordinary Christians who became perpetrators of genocide. That is a serious issue,” he stated.
Dr. Bizimana also highlighted the unique nature of the Kirinda Memorial Site, where no victims’ remains are buried because those killed were thrown into the Nyabarongo River.
He explained that the practice of killing Tutsi and disposing of their bodies in rivers was not unique to 1994 but had been used in earlier waves of anti-Tutsi violence dating back to 1959.
“Throwing Tutsi into the Nyabarongo River in 1994 was not something new. Many of the methods used during the genocide had already been practiced since 1959. Victims were often killed and their bodies dumped into rivers,” he said.
He added that similar atrocities occurred during the 1963 massacres, when Tutsi victims were killed and thrown into the Nyabarongo and other rivers across the country.
The minister urged religious leaders and faith communities to learn from the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and to remain vigilant against genocide ideology, denial, and minimization, which he warned still exist within some religious circles.
“Everyone should draw lessons from this history and strive to become a new Rwandan. Those who committed these crimes are not only part of the past. Genocide ideology, denial, and distortion of the Genocide against the Tutsi still exist, including among some members of religious institutions,” he said.
Dr. Bizimana concluded by calling on religious leaders to promote truth, unity, and responsible citizenship as part of ongoing efforts to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.