UNAMIR peacekeepers with soldiers of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, July 1994
(Photo by UN/John Isaac
Kigali, Rwanda – A group of former African UN peacekeepers who defied orders to leave Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi are returning this week to retrace the harrowing days they spent protecting civilians without logistical or operational support.
From August 14 to 20, veterans from Ghana and Senegal will tour key historical sites where they were deployed 31 years ago, including the Hôtel des Mille Collines, Stade Amahoro, the Former ETO Kicukiro, Byumba, and Mulindi.
They will also visit genocide memorials and meet with Rwandan counterparts to reflect on their experiences.
These officers — Maj Gen (Rtd) Clayton Boanubah Yaache, Brig Gen (Rtd) Martin Owusu-Ababio, Brig Gen Elhadji Babacar Faye, Brig Gen Stephen Parbey, Major (Rtd) Peter Sosi, Ex WO II Lucas Norvihoho, and Ex WO I Sampson Agyare—were among those who stayed behind after most UN forces withdrew, risking their lives to save Rwandans trapped in the violence.
Their visit, organized by the Isōko Centre for Humanity and the Aegis Trust through the Kigali Genocide Memorial, will include public lectures and recorded testimonies to be preserved for archives, peace education, and future generations.
Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Global President of the Isōko Centre for Humanity, said the reunion is “a profound moment of truth-telling and historical preservation,” praising the peacekeepers’ courage under impossible circumstances as an embodiment of Africa’s highest ideals—compassion, solidarity, and the protection of human life.
Freddy Mutanguha, CEO of the Aegis Trust, called hosting the group “both an honor and a responsibility,” noting that their stories bridge the perspectives of survivors, rescuers, and liberators, offering powerful lessons for humanity.
The organizers say the tour aims not only to honor these veterans but also to strengthen the collective resolve to prevent future atrocities—both in Africa and globally.
