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Rwanda to preserve genocide victims costumes

Xinhua, February 10, 2017 Adjust font size:

More than two decades after the 1994 genocide, Rwanda National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) has kicked off the preservation of clothing worn by genocide victims.

The activity is part of the commission to ensure proper conservation of remains of genocide victims and the history of the 1994 tragedy that claimed more than a million lives.

CNLG this week started conserving clothing worn by genocide victims at the Nyamata genocide memorial site in Bugesera District, Eastern Province. Most of the costumes are strewn with blood of the victims.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana, CNLG Executive Secretary said that the genocide Artifact Conservation Project intends to preserve clothing from the remains of 45,000 genocide victims at the Nyamata memorial site, and later expand to other sites across the country.

"The conservation and documentation process is complex and could take from six to 12 months. We want to preserve this tragic history for future generation so that genocide never happens again in the history of mankind," he added.

Bizimana noted that the initiative will provide a lasting contribution to the conservation of Rwanda's historical and cultural heritage.

According to preservation experts, the first step is carried out by machines called "tumblers," which gently remove the outer layers of soil and separate the items of clothing. This process removes large debris, dirt, embedded hunks of soil and bones from the clothing.

After tumbling, the clothes are vacuumed and treated to kill off microbes, preparing them for long-term storage. The clothes are then put in a climate-controlled plastic box.

Experts from the University of Pennsylvania, U.S, have already trained CNLG staff on artifact preservation methods.

The process also involves adding chemicals to protect the clothing from bacteria, insects, humidity and dust, which can degrade them; if the chemicals are applied regularly, the items should last even longer -- up to 200 years.

The small central African country targets to include four crucial genocide memorial sites on the list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites by 2018.

The sites are Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, Ntarama Genocide Memorial site in Bugesera District, Murambi Memorial Centre in Nyamagabe District, and Bisesero Genocide Memorial site in Karongi District. Endit