Bisesero Genocide Memorial

Rwanda


About 30km southeast from Kibuye, the small village of Bisesero is home to stunning scenery and a stirring genocide memorial.

During the early days of the genocide, more than 50,000 Tutsis fled here in the hope of evading the Interahamwe. For more than a month, these brave individuals were able to fend off their aggressors with little more than basic farming implements. On 13 May, a reinforced regiment of soldiers and militia descended on Bisesero, slaughtering more than half of the refugees. By the time the French arrived on the scene in June, there were fewer than 1300 Tutsis remaining.