By BIZIMANA Jean Damascene*
On April 11, 1994, the criminal government continued to implement its genocidal plan to exterminate Tutsi throughout the country. As part of remembering the victims of the Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi, the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) continues to recall the history of this Genocide, how it was implemented on a daily basis, and ci -after how he was executed across the country on April 11, 1994.
1. THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE BELGIAN CONTINGENT FROM ETO KICUKIRO, KIGALI, THE MASSACRES IN KICUKIRO AND NYANZA, KICUKIRO
The Official Technical School of Kigali, in ETO acronym, was managed by the Salesian Fathers. Since 1963 the Tutsi have taken refuge there and were well received and assisted. As soon as the Tutsi took refuge there on April 8, 1994, gathered in the same place, they were shot, in particular they were shot with arrows, until April 11, 1994 where they were brought to the place named Nyanza of Kicukiro where they were systematically massacred.
In 1994, within the ETO compound, there was a post of UNAMIR troops who had come in the framework of peacekeeping that is why the Tutsis took refuge there in large numbers, hoping to be protected by these well-armed UN soldiers. Afterwards, UNAMIR abandoned them in the hands of Interahamwe and soldiers ready to massacre them on April 11, 1994. Colonel Rusatira Leonidas brought in numerous soldiers who prevented the Tutsis from fleeing to join the CND, the Parliament; the Tutsi were killed little by little from SONATUBES, on the way towards Nyanza de Kicukiro where they were brought to be exterminated there with grenades before the Interahamwe strip the victims and finish those who were still breathing.
The Belgian contingent stationed at ETO was led by Lieutenant Luc Lemaire, himself commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Dewez, himself under the responsibility of colonel Luc Marshall deputy of general Dallaire commander of the UNAMIR. They are the first to be held responsible for the massacre of 2,000 killed on April 11, 1994.
2. MASSACRES AT THE CHURCH OF THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF KIZIGURO
From 7 to 10 April 1994, the Tutsi, coming from different localities, began to take refuge in the church of Kiziguro where they were told that they were going to be protected there but it was a question of letting them gather in large number because on April 11, 1994 they were killed, the massacres lasted from 10 am to 4 pm.
They were killed by the Interahamwe mobilized by mayor Gatete Jean Baptiste, Rwabukombe Onesphore mayor of Muvumba, Mwange Jean de Dieu, Sibomana Martin, Nkundabazungu Augustin businessman, Niyonzima Deogratias (Brigadier of Commune Murambi), Munyakazi (policier), Mbuguje Jean Damascene (businessman), Muganga Manasse, Mirasano Emmanuel, Biramahire Kaguru, Karekezi Augustin, Munyabuhoro Pierre Claver, Gakombe Balthazar, Gakwerere Aloys, Mutsinzi Emmanuel, Karengera Paulin (inspector of primary school), Musoni Francois, Manihura Habib, Kabalira Sylvain, etc.
The Genocide was supervised by soldiers from Gabiro military camp sent by Major Nkundiye Leonard.
They were massacred in the courtyard of the priest’s home, near the water tanks, in the garden, at the dispensary, near the statue of the Virgin Mary and elsewhere behind the fence wall. There was a small wood. Those who were killed were buried in holes 60 cm deep, below the primary school. Those who were killed were transported by other Tutsi who, also arrived at their destination, were massacred and all the bodies were thrown together in a grave. Doctor Rwamakuba Emmanuel, Sekamana and Fidèle Karangwa alias Gasongo, as well as others from Kiyombe, are often cited among those who killed near the pit.
3. KILLINGS AT Shagasha ADPR, CYANGUGU
The Shagasha ADPR was a church where many Christians went to pray, many of them Tutsi, which is why they took refuge there. The Tutsi who took refuge in the ADPR were women and children, the men having feared to be killed there.
About 60 Tutsi women and children took refuge there from April 11, 1994 when the Tutsi began to be killed and their houses burned down. Even if they were women and children, the Interahamwe came to select the male children to go and kill them. So that they would not be killed, they were dressed in dresses so that they could be taken for girls.
In addition, the Tutsi men who had been captured in the Shagasha, Munyove and Rwahi sectors were brought to the ADPR Shagasha to be massacred there, many Tutsi coming from these sectors were thus killed at this church.
4. MASSACRES IN SAVE, IN GISUMA, CYANGUGU
In the former Ggisuma Commune, in Ruharambuga Sector, Gihinga Cell, in Cyangugu Prefecture, currently in Nyamasheke District, Ruharambuga Sector, Save Cell, were gathered on April 11, 1994 near 50 Tutsi in the house of Mukandagara Odette, who all been killed. They had previously been surrounded in this cell before they were all brought to this house and were killed there.
In the former Nyamuhunga Sector, Kimpundu Cell were also killed over 1,000 Tutsi who had been rounded up by Interahamwe from this locality.
The Tutsi had taken refuge there from the evening of April 9, 1994, and after their number had increased, they were all surrounded and killed on April 11, 1994 in broad daylight. They were killed by Interahamwe who came from cells close to this sector, and by municipal police. The Interahamwe were led by the Sector Advisor and Rujigo Francois. The municipal police had previously arrived at the Tutsi refugees, reassuring them that they were coming to protect them while it was to keep them together so that they did not flee to other places.
5. MASSACRES AT THE HANIKA PARISH, CYANGUGU
In the parish of Hanika, currently in Nyamasheke District, in the Macuba sector, nearly 15,000 Tutsi who had taken refuge there were killed in the premises they occupied: the premises of the priests, the health center and the nutritional center, locals who all belonged to the Hanika Parish.
Among the Interahamwe who killed them was Alphonse alias Rasta, son of Pasteur who was a soldier. It was he who grenade killed Tutsi Ngoboka Saveur and Gasheme, son of Basabose, the latter was an employee of Gatera Fabien who took care of his vehicles. Among the other Interahamwe are Hatunguramye Joseph, Hanyurwa Valens, Nkerabahizi Oscar, Michel Bahimaya, Mukono, trader in Kirambo, who offered beer to the Interahamwe so that they could go and kill with high morale. These Interahamwe were among the leaders of the Interahamwe and among the most zealous of them who participated in the massacres of Tutsi in the Hanika Parish.
The Tutsi of the Gatare Commune began to take refuge in the Hanika Parish on April 8 and 9, 1994, when they noticed that the Hutu had started to form groups and to denounce the Tutsi as what they would have killed the Father of the Nation. On April 9, 1994, a young man who had been killed with a sword by one of his neighbors was buried on April 10, 1994 in the locality of Muramba-Gitwa; the Tutsi who attended the funeral were mocked by Hutu who told them that now they were going to bury theirs forever.
On April 11, 1994, the Bourgmestre of the former Gatare Commune, Rugwizangoga Fabien, arrived on the scene around 12 noon, he had just met with Emmanuel Bagambiki, the Prefect of Cyangugu. Some time later, around 3 p.m., when the bourgmestre had just left the locality, a group of killers attacked the Tutsi refugees to massacre them.
Among the killers was a woman by the name of Marigarita, who had been a counselor even before the outbreak of the liberation war in 1990, and who was reputed to have imprisoned many Tutsi on the false pretext that they were accomplices of the Inkotanyi.
6. AT MIDIHO, KAYONZA, KIBUNGO
In the Mukarange Sector, at the place called Midiho, in the Nyagatovu Cell, on April 11, 1994, more than 200 Tutsi who had taken refuge in the EAR Nyagatovu were killed, and at the head of the killers was the merchant Kanyengoga Thomas from the Kayonza shopping center. Until today, the bodies of the victims of this massacre have never been found to be buried in dignity.
CONCLUSION
The Genocide against the Tutsi was planned and carried out by the state. The fact that since the morning of April 7, 1994, the Tutsi were at the same time massacred throughout the country, from Kigali, and elsewhere, demonstrates without the slightest doubt that the Genocide was planned by the State.(End)
* BIZIMANA Jean Damascene, Executive Secretary National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide, CNLG