“When you try to look back to the unfortunate tragedies happened in Rwanda, and you look at Rwandans’ children who perished in that country, there should be a bloodshed of a man like Rwigara, in order to recover love and reconcile Kanyarwanda’s children from different ethnic groups”.
These are a kind of words that have been spoken on the remembrance ceremony of the death of the Rwandan businessman Assinapol Rwigara, who has been murdered on the 4th February 2015. The ceremony took place in the meeting room of Detroit metro Airport Marriott Hotel in the Detroit- Michigan in the USA on the 20th April 2019, where more than hundred (100) people from different places (Africa, Europe, Canada, America and Australia) attended the ceremony and members of Rwigara’s family in Kigali followed the ceremony by mean of modern technology.
Apart from remembrance of Rwigara’s death, it was also a time to celebrate and praise the Lord for the release of Adeline Rwigara and her daughter Diane Shimwa Rwigara from the jail, that also coincided with Adeline Rwigara Mukangemanyi’s birthday (the Assinapol’s widow), who was very surprised by a happy birthday song and wishes from those who attended the ceremony.
Last year ,the same ceremony happened while Adeline and Diane were in the jail. It was a great joy and all of them were repeating Adeline’s famous word she often said as a slogan, while she was in her struggle and troubles which still going on even today, saying “There is the God in heaven! ”.
Adeline Rwigara delivered her speech and touching testimony that made those who attended the ceremony to cry!
While RPF regime cuts off all doors of job opportunities on which youth would base their development considering their low skills and capital, those who know Assinapol Rwigara said that, all of his possessions were from his hands and hard working, since he started his business activities while in primary school. He bought his first car on age of 16!
Another prominent issue about Assinapol as many people testified in the ceremony, is that he was so altruist, very benevolent and graceful to all! Many people among whom he had helped witnessed about, including those he helped to study in Europe and America.
A man called MASOZERA told the audience how, while he was studying at Gitwe , once they were doing exams at Lycée de Kigali, that would allow them to switch schools, Rwigara who owned a Toyota pick up at that time, rolled in and picked 25 students and take them to the restaurant and paid the bill. He did this for the whole week of the exams.
Pastor Onesphore NTABANA, witnessed how Rwigara served God. He told those who attended the ceremony that Rwigara allowed him, Adeline together with other seven members of his group of prayer, to use one room of his building that RPF regime destroyed later. After few months the number of members increased to 200 and Assinapol gave them a bigger room in the ground floor of the building. At the time of the demolition, the place was holding more than 600 people worshiping God!
One of those who spoke on behalf of the family was Ben RUTABANA who said how he kept on wondering in vain the reason why Rwigara and his prominent achievements could pass away the way it happened, “but these days I finally got the point! I realized the reason”. He added.
“When you try to look back to the unfortunate tragedies happened in Rwanda, and you think of Rwandans’children who perished in that country, there should be a bloodshed of a man like Rwigara in order to recover the love and reconcile Kanyarwanda’s children from different ethnic groups. Look at how you all gathered here from all different corners of the world, all of us, whether Hutus or Tutsis eating and smiling together, some of you from different ethnic groups are now sleeping in the same rooms! And to put it blunt, Rwigara’s death has became the reconciling bridge and will also play a role in declining of his murders!…”. Rutabana said.
After very long period of time without a new song, Ben Rutabana who is known because of his famous songs like “Imbaraga z’urukundo (The Power of love), “Africa” and more many others, he sang new song he dedicated to his sister Adeline Rwigara, and he promised to ameliorate it for a sooner publication!
In the same way, the teenage girl Alexa M. SIKUBWABO also sang an emotional song dedicated to his cousin Rwigara’s last born called Rwigas, and then Chelsea SIKUBWABO did the same for his brother in-law Rwigara.
Even though Rwigara’s death strongly affected members of his family, on the other hand, it’s consequences became strong burden to those who took away his life and the loss they made is much higher than the profit they were expecting to get from it, even the shame, guilt and the reputation they loss before all Rwandans and the rest of the world is enough, and obviously, this will contribute to their declining !
In addition to that, Rwigara’s death opened the eyes of many people who were still mixing-up the wolf in sheep’s skin. Moreover, stem from his death, Rwigara’s family became the bridge to reconcile all Rwandans without any kind of exclusion based on ethnic group or anything else as Mr Ben said.
Joyce H. KANYANGE
Michigan – USA