Preparation of the remains for the burial of the dead.

It is a large task that needs to be done with great care, when you are to prepare the remains of approximately 50000 people. This is what is being done at the memorial in Bisesero.  A ceremonial memorial burial will take place at the end of June, this year, in order to have an official mass grave for the survivors to come to.

Preparation of approximately 50000 remains from the genocide in Rwanda 1994 is in progress at the Bisesero Memorial. The official burial of the dead will take place in late June 2014.

#genocide #bisesero #rwanda #humanrights #memorial #photography #photojournalism #africa

Bisesero Memorial and the dead, Rwanda

Bellow the Memorial in Bisesero can you seethe remains of over 1500 dead people on display. 

It is a rather impressive display of remains you are met with if you visit the memorial in Bisesero. Then again, this is only one of many around the country. Later this month (June 2014) will most of the remains be buried. In the case of the bodies that have already been laid to rest, they will be reburied into the official mass graves.  #rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography

Walking home.

A young child walking home from the Bisesero Memorial on April 7th 2014.

This little boy is walking home from the commemoration in Bisesero on April 7th 2014. You can see the people at the memorial sitting on the lawn in front of the memorial in the background. The landscape is hilly and beautiful. The history is brutal.
#rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #aprilseventh

Child and Sheep, Bisesero, April 7th 2014.

This young person is walking home with a few sheep. It is the rain season and it is April 7th, 2014- 20 years since the the start of the genocide in Rwanda.

April is the rain season in Rwanda. This young boy was seeing his family sheep home on the day of commemoration in Bisesero, near lake Kivu. 

#rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #commemoration #aprilseventh

Bisesero Evening Memorial, Rwanda

A small crowd of men had gathered at the top area of the memorial in Bisesero in order to commemorate 20 years since the genocide took place Rwanda. The village is located in the mountains near lake Kivu. The men are known to be strong- despite that, Bisesero did not escape losing thousands of women, children and men in the 1994 genocide.

On April 7th, the local community was organising an evening Memorial at the top of the Memorial in Bisesero, Rwanda. 

#rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #aprilseventh #commemoration 

The official Burial of the dead in Bisesero.

Mucyo, the curator at the Bisesero memorial, standing in front of caskets contains the remains of around 50000 people. They will be re-buried into the new official mass grave at the memorial in June.

Mucyo, a survivor of the genocide, lost a leg during the war. Here, he takes time to show us how the memorial in Bisesero is designed to be functional as well as a place to use by the survivors in this small community. April 7th, 2014.

#rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #commemoration #aprilseventh

Bisesero landscape and lake Kivu

If you ever travel and visit the little village Bisesero in Rwanda, then you will find amazing views of the (1000) hills in the surrounding area. You will also see the beautiful lake Kivu with Congo (DRC) in the background. This is also where resistance was stronger during the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.

Lake Kivu seen from Bisesero with Congo (DRC) in the background (April 2014).

#rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #lakekivu #kibuye #thousandhills #aprilseventh #commemoration

Rwanda Taxi

Arriving in Kibuye- meet the taxi.. It was not that easy to get both my luggage and camera gear onto the taxi going to my hotel... The ride was only about 10 minutes.

Fast and furious...at least quick and efficient would be my experience of the taxi in Kibuye, Rwanda!

#rwanda #bisesero #genocide #neveragain #africa #photography #nikon #d810 #documentary #photojournalism #reportage #d4 #kigali #webster #lakekivu #kibuye #thousandhills #aprilseventh #commemoration #taxi #motorbike

A rest, after walking a very long way...

Mars Mira is a very long walk, 120km and you walk through the woods, through hills and the temperatures may very well go beyond 40C. But this was the way where thousands tried to escape being killed in July 1995 fleeing Srebrenica trying to reach the next safe area, Tuzla.

A bit of resting feels like the right idea for this man after having walked for two days...one to go. Mars Mira/ Peace March July 2011.