Bisesero Genocide memorial is among the six major Genocide centers in Rwanda, located in Kibuye, where over 40,000 people were murdered with sticks and stones in unlawful circumstances since they had tried to resist their raiders by running to the French troops seeking defense, though unfortunately, the troops had no authority to interfere, so they withdrew, leaving the Tutsi at Bisesero hence their massive deaths in 1994 Rwanda’s Genocide. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris

Bisesero is perched on the hills of Kibuye in Karongi district, which is the capital province of West Rwanda, where approximately 30,000 innocent people were killed. Click here to see our recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour. 

The areas within the Bisesero have become more famous for the acts of resistance by the Tutsis who stood against the massacre. This was unsuccessful because they were using sticks for fighting against the well-armed and trained soldiers.

Bisesero is located in a mountainous area that is about 31 km from the Lake Kivu in Kibuye. Historically, the majority of the locals who lived in Bisesero were Tutsis, whose main activity was cattle keeping. They were formally called Abasesero, where the name was derived.

Because of their small numbers, all of the people in other prefectures were slain during the 1994 genocide. But here, the Tutsi who resided in Bisesero and the surrounding area banded together to fight back against the killers—who happened to be their neighbors and other nearby Hutus.

This hill is now known as the "Hill of Resistance" for this reason. They chose the top of a hill with lots of rocks, which they flung at the advancing assailants who were carrying clubs and machetes, and for a few days they were successful.

Hutu reinforcements from the Republican Guard in Kigali and Interahamwe militias launched a significant attack against the Tutsis at Bisesero following many days of resistance. These new assailants arrived carrying formidable, cutting-edge weaponry. The inhabitants of Bisesero were unable to withstand the fresh attack for very long, and as a result, they were wiped out.

A small number of the Tutsis who lived in Bisesero are said to have escaped, based on the survivors' statements. Approximately fifty thousand individuals from the area were killed during this onslaught, while only an estimated 1,000 people managed to escape.

Soon after the genocide, in 1996, survivors got together and devised a plan to dignify bury all of the victims' scattered remains in one location rather than over hills and valleys.

Bisesero genocide memorial site can be best visited in the dry months of June to September and from December to March. Although the Bisesero genocide memorial site  can be visited throughout the year.