the history of the genocide in nyange sector - august 2003 - african rights-

8/14/2019 The History of the Genocide in Nyange Sector - August 2003 - African Rights-

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THE HISTORY OF THE GENOCIDE IN NYANGE SECTOR

A Collective Account

August 2003

PO Box 3836, Kigali, RwandaTel: 00 250 501007 Fax: 00 250 501008

Web: www.africanrights.org

Email: [email protected]


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION TO NYANGE SECTOR

2. HISTORY OF THE GENOCIDE BY CELLULE

2.1 Cyambogo Cellule

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison

b) The Genocide Survivors and Other Witnesses

2.2 Kanyinya Cellule



2.3 Murambi Cellule



2.4 Nsibo Cellule



2.5 Nyange Cellule


2.6 Vungu Cellule



2.7 Cellule Zegenya



3. COMMENTS


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1. INTRODUCTION TO NYANGE SECTOR

Because of the high number of victims killed there, Nyange was chosen as one of the 12 pilot

sectors, which began work on the gacaca trials in June 2002. Nyange is now in Budaha

district, Kibuye province, but in 1994 it was in Kivumu commune. It has eight cellules:Cyambogo, Vungu, Zegenya, Nyange, Kanyinya, Nsibo, Muganza and Murambi. Before the

genocide the Kivumu local administration offices were based there. There was Kivumu

district court; the business centre; the Kivumu Sisters of Assumption convent; Kivumu

development cooperativeCODECOKIwhich had flourished in the region; and Nyange

parish run by the priests under the leadership of Nyundo diocese.

According to detainees and survivors of the genocide, the killings in Nyange sector began on

the night of 7-8 April in Murambi cellule. The teacher, Tlsphore Ndungutse, head of the

local militia, gave the order. From 8 April, the Tutsis from Murambi and those from

neighbouring cellules began to take refuge in the parish. The commune authorities called

upon the other Tutsis hiding on their hills to come to the parish for their security. It was a

means of gathering them in one place so as to carry out the genocide. From 14 to 16 April,large-scale massacres began, ending in the demolition of Nyange church. From the first hours

of the killings, this church and its courtyard overflowed with refugees who came looking for

protection from the clergy. But it was there that an unprecedented carnage unfolded, in which

more than 2,500 people died. Because the refugees didnt want to come out of the church

itself, in the end the building was destroyed. The church was razed to the ground by

caterpillar bulldozers when it still sheltered people who were alive or wounded during the

preceding attacks. It was completely demolished, apart from rubble scattered here and there.

The victims were buried and a memorial site has been erected there in their honour.

The mass grave at Zegenya, which the gnocidaires generally called CND (the National

Council for Development)1remains as a symbol of suffering for the survivors. Not only did

their tormentors throw corpses into the communal graves, they threw in people who were stillalive. The former authorities also erected roadblocks there to search for Tutsis wherever they

were hiding.

1This is a reference to the fact that from December 1993 the headquarters of the Rwandese Patriotic

Front (RPF) in Kigali was in the CND building.

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2. THE HISTORY OF THE GENOCIDE BY CELLULE

2.1 Cyambogo cellule


Cyambogo cellule is situated near the centre of Nyange, along the Kibuye-Gitarama road.

Nearly all the administrative offices of what used to be Kivumu commune are there: the

commune office, the district court etc With the new administrative structures, Cyambogo

was chosen as the administrative site for Budaha district. This district includes the former

communes of Kivumu and Bwakira. It is bordered by Ngobagoba sectorincluding Nsibo

and Ngobagoba cellules to the north and Zegenya and Kabuye cellules to the east. To the

south is Murambi cellule and to the west, Vungu cellule.

From the beginning of the October 1990 war until 6 April 1994

After the October war, bitter words circulated in Cyambogo and these were behind some

fierce actions by Hutus against Tutsis. This violence had its roots in the neighbouringcommune of Kibilira, Gisenyi prfecture, where the Tutsis were massacred from the time the

inkotanyi attacked. In several sectors of Kivumu commune, Tutsis cattle were looted andtheir houses were set alight. These sectors included Gasave, Kigali, Bwira, Kibanda,

Ngobagoba and Nyange. There was also other violence against Tutsis in three of Nyanges

cellules: Murambi, Vungu and Cyambogo. Apart from the insults hurled at Tutsis, the home

of Mushongores son was attacked. The invaders wanted to set his houses on fire. Thanks to

his neighbours intervention, the assault failed and none of his property was touched.

Ndungutse, from Murambi sector, was behind all the malicious plans. He died in exile,2

but

used to be the vice-president of the MRND in Kivumu commune, a teacher at the secondary

school in Kigali sector, and president of the administrative council of the bank, Kivumu

banque populaire, as well as a trader.

As this violence took place on a large scale, the commune authorities, under pressure from the

opposition political parties, imprisoned some dangerous elements in the cellule. A man called

Murindanyi, Gasaruhandes son, was put in Kibuye central prison. Nyanges councillor,

Tharcisse Habakurama, and some of the responsables from Nyange cellule were dismissedfrom their posts.

The days immediately following the announcement of President Habyarimanas death

The people of Cyambogo cellule learned of the death of Habyarimana from Radio Rwanda

and Radio tlvision libre des mille collines (RTLM) on 7 April. Immediately afterwards,

some people began inciting the Hutus to begin taking revenge for the death of the Presidentby getting rid of Tutsis. The first inflammatory words came from sub-lieutenant Kalimbanya,

who was on leave. Before going back to his post, he took advantage of the opportunity to go

around the whole cellule in an ambulance from Nyange health centre calling upon Hutus to

consider Tutsis as their enemies. Because of this sensitisation, the residents divided into two

opposing camps.

On 8 April, several wounded members of Grgoire Ndakubanas family, from Murambi

sector, went to Nyange health centre. Theyd just escaped an attack led by Ndungutse.

Because of this invasion led by certain Hutus, Tutsis all over Nyange sector realised that they

were going to experience the same violence and thought it a good idea to leave their houses.

Many of them preferred to take refuge in Nyange church. The others headed for the Sisters of

2Some interviewees believe that he may be in exile.

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Assumption convent. There were also some who chose the bush. By 10 April, the security of

all Tutsis in Nyange was unstable. The Tutsi civil servants in Kivumu chose to stay at the

commune office with their families. Among them was Boniface Gatare from Zegenya cellule

and five members of his family. His Tutsi neighbours followed in his footsteps and came to

the commune office.

The first security meeting and the gathering of Tutsis in a single location

From 11 April, the bourgmestre, Grgoire Ndahimana, called a meeting supposedly for

security. This meeting gathered together all the leaders of Kivumu commune. Those present

demanded that Tutsis assemble in one place. Nyange church was identified as an enormous

building which could accommodate them. During the meeting, the participants gave the order

to all the councillors in Kivumu to force all the Tutsis who were still hiding with their

neighbours or in the bush, to join the others. To facilitate this, the police were to go right

across the commune, passing this message on. Lastly, the participants in the meeting were

delighted by the plans for gendarmes to come to their cellule. Those present at the meeting

were: the heads of services in Kivumu commune; all the sector councillors; and Father

Athanase Seromba, the priest of Nyange parish. For a meeting supposedly intended forsecurity, the true impulse behind the intentions of the bourgmestre, Grgoire, and the judicial

police inspector(IPJ) Fulgence Kayishema, became evident when theyfreed unconditionally

those who had thrown themselves into the killings in the area, namely Callixte Munyaneza,

now deceased; Thoneste Munyaneza, who is in Gisovu prison; Vnuste Munyabera, at

liberty; Modeste Nkurunzinza, from Ngobaboba sector, in Gisovu prison; Gaspard Gasigwa,

from Kigali, who is deceased; Ndindabo, alias Kanyarengwe, from Kigali, now dead;

Bimenyimana, detained in Kibuye and Alphonse Hakuzimana, in Kibuye prison.

The decision to bring together all the refugees in Nyange church was implemented a few

hours after the meeting ended. Most of the refugees were taken to the parish the next day. A

Toyota Stout van, stolen from a Tutsi, Rwamasirabo, by his driver, Jean Uwimana, helped

with the transport. That day, Mugenzi, who was in charge of the health centre in Nyange, wastaken by the bourgmestre to join the other Tutsis. The business of gathering together the

refugees in the church was supervised by the bourgmestre, Father Athanase Seromba and the

gendarmes who came from Kibuye. Around 2:00 p.m., men led by Gashugi, a shopkeeper in

Nyange business centre, invaded Cyambogo cellule and began setting fire to the homes of the

following Tutsis: Harelimana; Ntabyera; and Gaspard. These invaders led the acts of

destruction and organised the looting of the following Tutsis homes: Mushongore;

Rwagatwaza; Bandora, where they also took two cows; and Munyanshoza, whose two cows

were taken away by Mulindanyi. The gang was made up of militiamen from Ngobagoba,

Dutwe and Kigali, among them Mbaraga, in exile; Pierre Munyampirwa, deceased; Rukara, in

Gisovu prison; Kanyarengwe; Vincent Nsengiyaremye; Gafurama, at liberty; and

Mukeshimana, deceased.

Events after 13 April

On 13 April, Gashugi led an assault upon Claver Gatwaza, a Hutu, and his wife Marciane.

The aim was to kill Jean Baptiste Kayiranga who had hidden there, as well as Marcianes

nephew. As the bourgmestre first wanted to bring people together in the church, he saved

those who were captured. On 14 April, the residents of Cyambogo witnessed the movement

of several interahamwe from all the sectors, heading for Nyange church for a meeting to wipe

out the Tutsis. Some of Cyambogos residents joined them there. The refugees managed to

defend themselves against the attackers. During the invasion of the parish, certain

interahamwe got the opportunity to carry out killings and looting in Cyambogo cellule. In this

context, raiders, including Mugwiza, took Gatoranos cow and slaughtered it on the spot,

between Kanyemera and Habarugiras house. Ndebera, Kanyemera, Mbaraga and

Mukeshimana have since given back the equivalent of this cow. That day, the killers

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consisting of Augustin Serugendo, Murekezi and many others spilled the blood of three

unknown Tutsis below the Nyange health centre. A gang made up of Mashari and Mbaraga

dug out Mukarusagara from Fidle Ngirabegas house and killed her with a machete. Esdras

Ngendahayo saved the child that the victim was carrying.

The involvement of Cyambogo residents in killing the Tutsis at Nyange church, Nsibo cellule

As the group selected to invade the church had failed on 14 April, a considerable force was

mobilised, composed of interahamwe militiamen from all the sectors of Kivumu and those

from the neighbouring communes of Rutsiro in Kibuye and Kibilira and Satinsyi in Gisenyi.

Among the residents of Cyambogo cellule who participated on 15-16 April, were Joseph

Mutabaruka, at liberty; Evariste Singuranayo, at liberty; Thoneste Ushizimpumu, now dead;

Joseph Habiyambere, the judge who was the head of the district court, in detention in Gisovu

prison; Anastase Rushema in Kibuye prison; Jean Marie-Vianney Habarugira, in Kibuye

prison; Birarura, in prison; and Ndamyabera, in Kibuye prison. As Cyambogo cellule is very

near Nsibowhere Nyange church was and where the carnage raged from 15 to 16 Aprilit

became a corridor through which a lot of unknown militiamen passed before reaching their

target. Some of them stopped over to search the forests and make sure there were no refugeesthere, for example refugees from Ndaro sector. They did a general search of all the bushes

and forests in Cyambogo on 15 April before midday. Only Mukahigiro from Zegenya cellule

was found. She managed to buy her life with a 500 francs note and the interahamwe forced

her to go back to her home cellule. They then joined the other people at the church waiting to

kill.

Abuses committed after the slaughter at Nyange church

Some Tutsis, especially a few girls, the wounded and others that the gendarmes had taken

hostage inside the residences of the priests to use for their sexual satisfaction, were taken into

Nyange health centre, in Cyambogo. They were under the guard of the policemen, Adrien

Niyitegeka and Tlsphore Munyantarama. On 27 April, they were killed in Kayitare forestby Niyitegeka and Munyantarama, who are both now in Kibuye prison; the IPJ, Kayishema,

in exile; two interahamwe from Kabaga; Flix Abineza, alias Munyoni; and Jean Nkomeje

from Zegenya, now deceased.

Towards the end of April, a gang of interahamwe, among them Ndindabo alias Kanyarengwe,

now dead and Pierre Munyampirwa, also dead, captured a woman named Mukamusoni

between Ruhagos house and Ndaro. We dont know where she was killed. Around 20 April,

they erected roadblocks to effectively control the movement of people, as the interahamwe

had just found out that there were some Tutsis who managed to escape the massacres in the

church. They took turns in manning them. They were under the control of Kayishema,

supported by reservists. They set them up at junctions, which is why Cyambogo had two

roadblocks, one at the entrance to the market, another at the place called Ku Cyapa.Kayishema and Nyanges councillor, Jean Marie-Vianney Habarugira, put up this roadblock.

The following interahamwe frequented them: Ntamugabumwe; Mathias, Mpambaras son;

Karemera, Vincents son; Emmanuel Nzabahimana; Vincent; Saramendes son; Rudakubana,

Cyrilles son; Jean Nkurikiyinka, also Cyrilles son; Kanyarengwe; Masekurume and

Muzungu. At the beginning of May the roadblock was exclusively manned by reservists:

Kabalisa; Faustin Uwariraye; Kavutse, Habimanas son and Jean Bizimana, Pierres

grandson. The market roadblock, also set up on the orders of Kayishema, included

interahamwe from various cellules: Vdaste Bishangari, from Cyambogo; Athanase

Nkurikiyinka, from Ndaro cellule, Ndaro sector; Emmanuel Ndebera, from Cyambogo; Flix

Abineza, Cyambogo; Jean Marie-Vianney Habarugira, Cyambogo; Christophe Mbakirirehe,

Nsibo; Esdras Ngendahayo, Cyambogo; Vdaste Murangwabugabo, from Gakoma, in Kigali

sector; Martin Hitimana, Cyambogo; Athanase Rushema, Cyambogo; Adrien Niyitekega,

Zegenya; Franois Xavier Munyaneza from Ngugu, Ndaro sector. All the reservists and

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commune policemen were armed with guns and grenades. Habiyambere had got a gun so as

to create panic among the people of Cyambogo by shooting in the air all night. The attackers

captured the following Tutsis who were hiding in the homes of Hutus.

Host families Victims

Kayitare Ntabyeras three childrenIdesbard An unknown person

Munyandinda Mukamuhindi

Nzabigerageza A woman and two children

Mutayomba Thodate Ruhindana

All those captured were led to Zegenya. The interahamwe threw them in the mass grave

nicknamed CND. Before going there, the interahamwe went through the roadblock at the

market where they showed their leader, Kayishema, the booty they had found. He was with

Ephrem Mukangahe and Nzabigerageza. The attackers included the following people:

Gashugi; Mbaraga; Mukeshimana; Munyampirwa; Ndindabo; Masekurume; Longine,

Rwabigwis son; Kabarira; Rudakubana; Jean Nkurikiyinka; Cyriaque, Gafukus son;

Munyankindi; Papias Manikuze. As well as these interahamwe from Cyambogo there wasBudoni, Alexis son, originally from Kigali sector and Alexis, Ananies son, from Kigali

sector. A few days later, Boniface Kabalisa and his colleagues captured a boy. Despite his

plea that he came from the family of Captain Makofe Nsengiyumva, he was taken to Zegenya.

He was thrown into the CND mass grave, after he was killed by a machete. That day, two

children from Pauls house were stopped close to the roadblock by Hitabatuma, now dead,

Nsekerabanzi, deceased and Ndamyabera, in Kibuye prison. They murdered them in

Nyamiyugiri.

Faustin Uworinaniye described the large-scale search at the beginning of May.

Gashugi told us to meet in his bar. There we dealt with the question of the systematic search

for Tutsis who were being sheltered by Hutus. We drew up a long list of all the Hutu familiessuspected of putting up inyenzi. The next day, the operation began. First we went to FulgenceKayishemas house to get orders. The first raid was launched upon the Kagenza family where

an unknown child was captured. With a guarantee of money, the child wasnt touched. Fromthere, we went to the family of Marie Mujawamariya where we found Innocent. The poor manwas immediately led away by Kanyarengwe, Masekurume and Longine to the mass grave,CND, at Zegenya. The rest of us speeded up the work.

Kayitares family lived a few steps away. We discovered three little boys there, one

of whom escaped us. The two others were immediately led to CND. The operation continuedat the home of Idsibard Nkurunziza. The child hiding there went through a gap but a few

militiamen from our gang caught him and Faustin Niyitegeka took him to be executed alone atZegenya. Not far from there, we invaded Munyandindas family. An old woman was taken

from there and her destination was the mass grave at Zegenya. From there, we took the roadthat crosses our cellule. When we got near Nzabirindas house, we met with the team wed

just sent off to search Nkurikiyinkas family.

Tireless, we attacked Nzabigeragezas house where we found a woman and twochildren. Their host was forced to pay a fine of a cow so that those captured would be taken toCND, otherwise he would have to kill them alone with his own hands. The last raid wasagainst Mutayombas family, where we found Thodette. We also looted a cow there. The

victim was taken to the same mass grave.

In the evening, at the end of the operation, we slaughtered the two cows. A portion ofthe cow was sold and each one of the militiamen received a 100-franc note in repayment forthe actions wed just carried out. Among those involved I remember: Kayishema, the leader;Boniface Kabalisa; Ephrem Mukangahe; Gashugi; Nsengiyaremye; Innocent Karangwa;

Mugwiza; Esdras Ngendahayo; Papias Manikuze; Innocent Nkurikiyintwari; Gaspard

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Ryobere; Mukeshimana; Ndindabo, alias Kanyarengwe; Karemera; Faustin Niyitegeka;Longine Muzungu; Masekurume; Cyriaque, Gafukus son; Munyampirwa; Gafurama;Mbaraga; Vincent, Saramendes son; Rukara and Kagwegwe.

After the killing of the Tutsis, there were arguments about their property, during which one

person died. Innocent Uwimana detailed what happened.

Towards the end of May, we went back to Isidore Biraruras house, the responsable forCyambogo cellule. He was building a house on a plot of land belonging to his Tutsi

neighbour. We wanted to know why he was building houses first without distributing nicepatches of land to his followers whod distinguished themselves in the killings. In reply, he

said that everyone had to fend for themselves, since the plots of Tutsis were scattered all over.Suddenly we took our hoes and began to prepare the ground in Kamegeris plot, a Hutususpected of being a Tutsi. When she noticed, his wife went to warn him. Kamegeri reacted bysaying that once law and order returned to the country, he would reclaim his property. Whenwe heard this, we went back to the responsable to tell him about Kamegeris reaction.Immediately Isidore authorised us to kill him. We took him to the ruins of Gashamayoro

where Muhizi felled him with a blow from a large stone.

A list of the leading gnocidaires

According to the detainees, Cyambogo was the major centre; most of the planners of the

genocide, not only for that particular cellule, but also for the whole region, lived there. All the

decisions about the extermination of Tutsis were taken either in Cyambogo, in the

neighbouring cellule of Nsibo, or at the home of Father Seromba. The prisoners named the

following people as the leaders:

Tlsphore Ndungutse, the vice-president of the MRND. He is among the organisers

of the massacres at Nyange church. He was at the head of several attacks.

Grgoire Ndahimana, the bourgmestre: he is among the planners of the genocide in

Cyambogo cellule and across the whole commune. He supplied the interahamwe withammunition. He also played a big role in rounding up Tutsis to go to Nyange church.

The IPJ, Kayishema: he was at the forefront of all the attacks in Cyambogo, including

those that destroyed Nyange church. He also supervised the roadblocks in the cellule.

Father Athanase Seromba: he went to the commune office to meet with the commune

authorities about the massacres perpetrated in Nyange and housed the girls that the

gendarmes raped.

Gaspard Kanyarukiga: he participated actively in the meetings preparing the

massacres.

Joseph Habiyambere, the head of the Kivumu district court. He is among the

organisers of attacks which wiped out the entire commune.

Anastase Rushema, the right hand man of the bourgmestre and Father Seromba in the

preparations for the genocide in the region.


On 1 October 1990, the Hutus from Kibilira wanted to kill the Tutsis in Kivumu commune as

they had just done in their own area. The bourgmestre of Kivumu, Rwanzegushira,

energetically opposed this. He sent communal policemen to patrol the borders between

Kivumu and Kibilira. However, that didnt stop suspicions among the peasants. This was how

Aloys Rwamasirabo, one of the interviewees, came to be taken as an accomplice of the

inkotanyi. He was unjustly accused of having hidden, under his roof, enough petrol to burndown the houses of Hutus. He was imprisoned among the accomplices of the inyenzi along

with Damien Tuganishuri. This anti-Tutsi hatred was fomented by the assistant bourgmestre,Anastase Rushema; the medical assistant nicknamed Rwanyonga, whose whereabouts we

dont know; and Potien Zihabake, deceased. At this time the deputy prfet of Birambo came

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accompanied by the deputy public prosecutor to ask me for petrol, emphasises Aloys

Rwamasirabo. He said:

I left with them but when we reached half way, I learned that this amount of petrol had beenloaded up and taken away by those who came to carry out a search of my house. So I wasimmediately taken to Kivumu commune to be locked up there. My car was also stationary at

the commune office during my imprisonment. After a week, the two officials who had takenme subjected me to an interrogation. I replied in this way: As the war has just broken out, I

thought thered be a fuel shortage. So I stocked up with a sufficient quantity. I continued,pointing out to them that if I intended to harm the Hutus, I wouldnt keep this fuel on the mainroad but would hide it discreetly in the rural areas. To back up what I said, I revealed thatbefore 1 October, Rushema, whod run out of petrol, had come and asked me to lend himsome and Id done so voluntarily. Why did he not say then that this petrol was there to burnthe houses of Hutus? After analysing what Id said, and seeing that the motive for my arrest

was unfounded, I was released after seven days in prison.

Feelings were strained because some Hutus wanted to loot the Tutsis cattle. In reality

relations between Tutsis and Hutus werent at all good after the RPF attack. For instance,

Faustin Mushongore, a Tutsi, was killed by Murindanyi and his companions with a machete,on the pretext that his son, Gapira Majariwa, had joined the inkotanyi camp. Ethnic tensionsgrew even worse when multipartyism was introduced. The MRND and the Coalition for the

Defence of the Republic (CDR) opposed the Democratic Republican Movement (MDR).

There was always a trial of strength between these political parties.

7 April and afterwards

The killings in Cyambogo didnt begin immediately after Habyarimanas death. This was due

to the fact that the commune office was situated there. In the other cellules in Nyange, Tutsis

were already dead by 10 April. That day, our bourgmestre, Grgoire Ndahimana, went to

Kibuye to a meeting called by the prfet, Clment Kayishema. As soon as he got back, he

called a meeting in his district on 11 April.All the assistants of the commune, the heads ofservices, the commune staff and the councillors took part in this meeting. We dont have an

account of this meeting. However, Aloys Rwamasirabo states:

Around 4:00 p.m., a letter was sent to me telling me that I should send a car to transport thepeople responsible for taking on security at the Kivumu-Kibilira border. At 5:00 p.m., I told

them that I couldnt drive them there. I feared for my own security moving around at a latehour especially when there were four other vans which belonged to Hutus in our cellule whichwere rarely used. I gave them my driver, called Jigoma. After this meeting on the 11

th, around

5:30 p.m., some Tutsis died: Esther Mugiraneza and her son, Vincent Mutayomba as well asTharcisse Ndayitabi and his son, Gategabondo. These victims came from Nyamyungu,Kivumu sector.

Attacks were launched in all sectors officially on 12 April. There were refugees therefrom all around. In the meantime, the Tutsis from Murambi cellule had already died. We buried them on 8 and 9 April. These victims were my nephews and members of theNdakubana family. On 12 April, my car was requisitioned and took Tutsis to Nyange parish.These refugees were made to believe that they would be secure in the parish.

No Tutsis died in Cyambogo cellule before 16 April, the date when Nyange church was

demolished. They died at the parish on 15 and 16 April. We can name: Donat Nyabyera, her

daughter-in-law and two children; Rudakubanas wife, Marthe Mukasona; Munyanshozas

wife and his four children; Edouard Bwacya; Julie, Edouards wife and his three children;

Paulin Mushongore; Emerthe, Paulin Mushongores sister-in-law; two children, Muzungu and

another whose name we dont know; a girl named Adrienne; and five of Aloys

Rwamasirabos childrenEsprance Mutesayire, Vestine Uwase, Jean Paul Mugabo, AloysieIkirezi and Solange Ukundase. The survivors of the massacre at the church were finally

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finished off in Cyambogo cellule. These were Cheline, Anglebert and a lot of others. There

was also a woman who died in the celluleshe had taken the road to Rubengera. The

detainee Sibomana, Habakuranas son, was present at the time of the murder of this woman.

Certain victims died in other places. This was notably the case with Charles Kamegeli,

Innocent Gicumba and Esprance Mukamusoni.

During the killings these different personalities mentioned above were working together with

the trader, Gaspard Kanyarukiga. At the time of the massacres, there werent rivalries

between the different political parties. These important people had told the peasants to leave

aside the differences between the parties so as to combat the common enemy, the Tutsis, first.

They were also at the roadblocks, seeing how the peasants worked. Two roadblocks were

established in Cyambogo cellule after Habyarimanas death: one at Ku Cyapa and the other at

Mutanoga market.

The houses of victims had been destroyed early on in the killings. The Tutsis took refuge at

the parish before the destruction of their houses, which began around 12 April. Sometimes the

vandals and killers used to meet up at the same place. They carried off tiles, bricks, doors, and

windows and used them for their buildings. They also took the cows; there were a lot of themand its difficult to count how many. The looting was systematic. They didnt leave anything

in the houses: not even foodstuffs, or the traditional stone used to crush sorghum. The

peasants harvested the crops left by victims. Fields of cassava, beans and sweet potatoes

werent spared. The looters were greedy; the bravest of them took the valuable things. Fields

went to gnocidaires who had proven their bravery in the killings. These including the

following people: Isidore Biraruro, the cellule responsable, who lives in the cellule; InnocentKarangwa, in Kibuye prison; Karemera, Vincent Niyonsabas son; Nkurikiyinka, detained in

Kibuye.

These people were behind the killings committed in Cyambogo:

Fulgence Kayishema, IPJ, in exile; Assistant bourgmestre Mupenda, in Kibuye prison;

Interim assistant bourgmestre, Kanani;

Boniface Kabalisa, in Mulindi prison;

Joseph Habiyambere, a judge in the district court; in prison in Gitovu;

Flicien Kanyamashyamba, an agronomist, in prison in Kibuye;

Batrice Mukankusi, a teacher, she used to be at the roadblock.

All these people were present at meetings. There were others who never missed meetings, like

Ephrem Mukangahe, who is in exile and Grgoire Nzabigerageza, who lives in the cellule.

2.2 Kanyinya Cellule


The area which used to be called Kanyinya cellule, has since been divided administratively

into two parts, Kanyinya cellule and Muganza cellule.

Kanyinya

According to prisoners, there were only four Tutsi families in Kanyinya. There were also

other mixed families. After Habyarimanas death, a lot of Tutsis from Nyange sector took

refuge in the church. Those from Kanyinya went there on 12 and 13 April because of the

violence across the neighbouring cellules, especially Vungu and Nsibo. Like the Tutsis fromother regions, most of those from Kanyinya died between 15 and 16 April when Nyange

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church was demolished by the bulldozers of ASTALDI (the large Italian road construction

company). The victims were: Asia Kambabazi; Thobald Mbabariye; Etienne Nsengayire;

Eugne Gakakas wife and her three children; Nkakas wife and her two children; Annonciata

Mukamusoni, Muraras wife and her three children; Vnantie Kambabazi and her two

children.

On 14 April, Kanyinya saw the first invasion of the interahamwe from Vungu and Shyogi

including Ndamyabera, now in Kibuye prison, Antoine Barigira and Elias Ndayambaje at the

head. On their way to Gisiza, they met up with Tharcisse Sanani, whos free. With the

complicity of this man, the militia discovered a group of Tutsis from Vungu, hidden at

Mageras house. So the group divided in two. One took the captured people to Vungu to kill

them, while the other stayed in Kanyinya searching the houses where they suspected there

were Tutsis originally from Vungu. Conspiring with Vdaste, they killed Kageruka, who was

at Donat Twagiramungus house.

The murder of Tutsis in Kanyinya began just after the demolition of Nyange church. On 16

April, at 3:00 p.m. a group led by Jean Tereraho arrived. Theyd just taken part in the

massacre at the parish. First they murdered Lonard Ngabonziza. His elder brotherKarimunambwa was seriously wounded. Both were at home. As the family was rich, the

militia took away a lot of property, including more than 15 cows and a lot of goats, sheep,

pigs and so on. Their brother-in-law, Ruzungu, from Gasave sector, was among the invaders.

That day, assailants came from Kanyinya business centre led by Franois Rwakayiro, who is

free, and Balthazar Matabaro. They planned to murder Patricia Mukarutamu. Before agreeing

to this, the militiamen met others who were in the midst of taking off tiles from the house of

Fidle Murara, Mukarutamus son. Together they launched a raid against the Mukarutamu

family. Patricia and her grandchild were clubbed to death by Matabaro. The victims were

buried on the spot. The following people were involved: Mageza, in Kibuye prison; Myavu,

in Kibuye prison; Gaspard Niyitegeka; Sylvre Munyensanga, at liberty; Franois Uwaleta, at

liberty; Emmanuel; Mutabazi, in exile; Nsekerabanzi, in exile. After the killings atMukarutamus, they continued the hunt for Tutsis. On the way, the interahamwe noticed the

old man Nkaka who was lying in the sun. They caught him and took him to his house, where

he was clubbed to death by Matabaro and Mutabazi. When the killers were taking in the fresh

air on the mountain plateau, one of them went slightly to one side to cut the grass. There he

discovered Bihangamanywa. Suddenly all the militiamen ran after him until they took his life

in a stream separating Nsibo and Kanyinya cellules.

Three days later, on the 19th

or 20th

, a raid was prepared in Kanyatsinda, Kanyinya, under the

guidance of Matabaro. They cut the throats of two of Donats children, whose hiding place

was exposed by Claude Kanonko, who is free. It was the gang of interahamwe who finished

off Karimunambwa. That day was terrible for the old man, Ngirabega. His execution was

carried out by militiamen from Kibanda sector, under Nziroreras lead. The murder took placebetween Muganza and Kanyinya. The following interahamwe were involved: Bagiramenshi,

Bishangaris son; Sebazungu; Ngerageza; Baturahenshi; Bantegeye and Bushashi, all of them

at liberty. Rwagizenkana also took part.

Most of the Tutsi women married to Hutus were killed in the last raid on Kanyinya hill. The

raid had been organised from Nsanza sector. It was composed of men from several regions,

including Bwakira commune, Kibilira commune and sectors of Kivumu commune.

Munyarushoka and Cyridion were the leaders. Among the victims were: Mbabariyes wife;

Mukanyubahiro; Mukakimonyo; and two of Ngabonziza and Kangabes children.

The worst looting took place at the homes of Karimunambwa and Lonard. After they died,

their property was taken by the killers, including: 15 cows, a dozen goats, a dozen sheep, and

a dozen pigs. Whats more household things were taken and the houses were destroyed

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afterwards. As many of the affected families were of mixed descentintermarriage between

Hutus and Tutsisit was easier for some of the property they reclaimed to be returned to the

surviving relatives.

Muganza

Muganza only had one Tutsi family, Kangabires. Three others were mixed. The plan to kill

them was organised towards the end of May when a decision was taken against Tutsi women

married to Hutus. The first family to suffer was that of Emmanuel Nzigiye where men from

Kabaga killed his wife. The second target was the Munyagakwisi family, Emmanuels

paternal uncle. The interahamwe killed the two people who had found refuge there. In the

surrounding bush, the militia murdered Kangabire, his daughter and two grandchildren. The

operation was led by several interahamwe from all over including some from Nyange sector,

among whom were: Sindabyemera, Munyaneza, Icyoyiremeye and Nsabimana, all detained in

Kibuye.

The last victims were two of Karemangingos nephews. They were killed on 30 May. They

were at Karemangingos house and their hiding place was exposed by their uncle,Karemangingos elder brother. The killers included: Samuel Ugirirabino; Vdaste Sezibera,

both at liberty; Isae Sindabyemera, in Kibuye prison.


Kanyinya

12 April 1994 was an unforgettable date in the history of the genocide in our cellule. It was

then that the worst crackdown took place. Until then, the residents had remained united.

Unfortunately the social fabric was torn up by the supporters of MDR. That day, a crowd of

gnocidaires from Kivumu sector and Vungu cellule infiltrated Kanyinya and Vungu. We saw Nzaramba, from Kanyinya; Ngarambe from Vungu, who died in Kibuye prison and

Nyabudogori, who died in Kivumu sector.

Certain Tutsi families from Vungu took refuge at Mageras house in Kanyinya, after theyd

seen their cattle and property looted. There were eight refugees: Immacule, Kanamugires

wife, now dead, and her children; Mrs Alexis and her two children; Winfred and her daughter,

Nyirangerageze.

During this time, the Tutsis from Vungu had begun taking refuge in Nyange. When they

noticed that the situation might deteriorate, their neighbours from Kanyinya made the same

choice. The first families to go were Mrs Eugne and her four children; Mrs Nkaka and her

four children; Annonciata Mukamusoni and her three children; Vnantie Kambabazi and her

children and Emerthe Mukakizima, Thobalds wife.

On 14 April a group of killers from Vungu, including Elias Ndayambaje, in prison in Kibuye;

Hitabatuma, who died in prison and Antoine Barigira, who died in Kivumu commune

detention centre, came to kill the Vungu refugees. Subwanone, who was freed with the other

old people, distinguished himself in cutting their throats.

On 13 April, successive meetings to arrange a plan to eliminate the Tutsis went on in the

Kanyatsinda business centre during the night. The people who went there most often were:

Jean Marie-Vianney, Nyange councillor, from Vungu cellule; Canisius Karemangingo, the

cellule responsable, now dead; Andr Nzamwita, alias Kimaranzara, now a refugee;

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Athanase Rwabukamba, now a refugee; Boniface Nzaramba, Grald Mageza, and Jean

Ushizimpumu and Edouard Ntaganda, alias Uwakigeli, all in prison in Kibuye.

On 16 April, at around 3:00 p.m., the time at which the destruction of Nyange church was

completed, many killers divided themselves into groups to go and round up a few Tutsis who

were scattered around Nyange sector. Kanyinya was invaded by killers led by Jean Tereraho.

During this invasion, Lonard Ngabonziza lost his life and his older brother Karimunambwa

was seriously wounded. The family were wealthy. That is how the killers had the time to loot

as they pleased: more than 15 cows, 20 goats, a dozen sheep, several pigs and a lot of

household goods. They came from many areas, notably the interahamwe from Kibilira and

Rutsiro communes as well as a large crowd of people from Nyange sector. That day, Patricia

Mukarutamu and her two grandchildren were killed. There were a lot of assailants,including:

Mageza, the leader of the gang and his younger brother, Rubyagira, who escaped from

Kibuye prison, and many others Three days later, another gang of militiamen went to the

home of Mukantaganzwa, Donats mother. When they had killed four of Donats children,

they went to finish off Karimunambwa. Those involved were: Jean Ushizimpumu, Anicet

Sendegeya, in prison in Kibuye; Gaspard Niyitekega, deceased; Emmanuel Serubibi, who

died in Kibuye prison; Matabaro, who escaped from Gisovu prison; Rubyagira, Matabarosyounger brother, in exile; Damien Myavu, in Kibuye prison, Mugabo, who is out of the

country and Nsekerabanzi, a refugee.

Around mid-May, the mixed families were blacklisted. All the Tutsi women married to Hutus

were supposed to die. The plan was formulated by: Boniface Nzaramba; Grald Mageza;

Edouard Ntaganda; Ushizimpumu; and Rwabukamba. In connivance with the militia from

Nsanza, Rukoko sectors and those from Bwakira commune, they systematically wiped out the

families of Hutus with Tutsi wives. Here are the names of those they eliminated: Caritas

Bamurange, Mathias Mbabariyes wife; Gertrude Mukanyubahiro, Kanonkos wife; Anathalie

Kangabe, Grald Karambizis wife; Drocella, Charles Uwimanas wife. They also killed two

of Ngabonzizas children. They also sought Seziberas wife, but she wasnt there. The killers

went back through Nsibo cellule, where they continued killing. The next day the militia stillaimed to go back, but their plan was derailed by the IPJ Kayishema from Vungu cellule

because they wanted to kill his mother-in-law. Another victim who had come from Mwendo

commune died in Kanyinya. This was Marie, Uzabakirihos wife. Her torturers were:

Emmanuel Serubibi; Bikorimana, at liberty; Uwiragiye; Aloys Uwayiremeye, a refugee; and

Habarurema.

After the loss of human life, the looting and destruction of houses began. This was systematic

at Lonard Ngabonziza and Karimunambwas house. The homes of Eugne Gakaka,

Landouard Nkaka, Patricia Mukarutabana, Etienne Nsengayire and Murara were also

destroyed.

Muganza

Violence began here with the plan to murder Tutsi women married to Hutus. To accomplish

that, attackers from Kabaga went to Emmanuel Nzigiyes house and took his wife from him.

Then they arrived at the home of Munyagakwisi, Emmanuels paternal uncle and killed two

children hiding there. The interahamwe proceeded with their plan of searching for Tutsis in

the bush and killed an old woman named Kangabire, her daughter and her two grandchildren.

Then they went to the homes of the victims and stole a cow. That day the militia invaded

Murengeras family. They killed a child there and looted a goat. Among the militiamen were:

Icyoyiremeye; Sindabyemera; Munyaneza, and Nsabimana, all in Kibuye prison.

On 30 May 1994, a group of killers laid a trap for Karemangingos family. With the

complicity of his elder brother the interahamwe killed his two nephews. They took five goats,

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a hoe and a machete. The attackers included: Faustin Safari; Samuel Ugirirabino; Jean Marie

Vianney Rekeraho; Isae Sindabyemera.

2.3 Murambi Cellule


Murambi cellule borders on Zegenya and Vungu cellules and Kigali and Kivumu sectors in

Budaha. Just before the beginning of the massacres, around 23 Tutsi families lived in

Murambi.

When the inkotanyi attacked, on 1 October 1990 and the Hutus in Kibilira, Gisenyi, begankilling the Tutsis there, Kivumu commune was nearly affected. Luckily, Kivumus

bourgmestre at the time, Juvnal Rwanzegushira, hurried the commune police to the border of

Kibilira and Kivumu to prevent the eventual onslaught from Kibilira. However, a Hutu named

Ndungutse wanted to take advantage of the war to be aggressive towards his Tutsi neighbour,

Grgoire Ndakubana. This was just two days after the start of the October war. Ndakubanawent to the commune office with some of his children to ask for help and refuge. He spent the

night there. The bourgmestre sent a policeman to this cellule to check on security. This man

was called Munyantarama, and is now dead. When he arrived he noted that it was totally

secure. Given that the bourgmestre had ordered the policeman to shoot in the air if he met

people trying to disrupt security, it was one way of pointing out to the troublemakers that

people in charge of public order were present. Munyantarama did his job. When he got back

he told the bourgmestre that the situation was calm. That was why the bourgmestre told

Ndakubana to go back to his house. The next day, the bourgmestre held a meeting where he

gathered together everyone in Murambi cellule. The aim was to safeguard security. He

pointed out to people that they mustnt follow in the footsteps of the people in Kibilira who

had just committed terrible crimes against the Tutsis. Meetings of this kind were organised in

other sectors of Kivumu commune. As Ndungutse and Ndakubana were the most well-off

people in our cellule it seems that they had become rivals. In any case they didnt get on.

The bourgmestre, who had a degree in Physics, couldnt continue to run the commune as he

was appointed to the Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (IRST), where he

worked until 1994. He was replaced by Grgoire Ndahimana. He was the one who led the

commune until the time of the genocide.

7 April 1994 was marked by barbarous acts. It was just after the announcement of President

Habyarimanas death. The information was spread by Radio Rwanda. On the morning of the

7th, Ndungutse went into nearly every Hutus home to announce that President Habyarimana

was dead. He said that Tutsis were behind his death. For that reason he said that Hutusshould take revenge. Ndungutse was an influential man in Kivumu. In 1979-1980, he was the

Kibuye district inspector. In 1994, he was both a teacher at the Kigali centre scolaire, vicepresident of MRND in Kivumu and president of the administrative council of the bank, the

Kivumu banque populaire. He also did some trading.

On the morning of 7 April, he asked certain Hutus to attack Ndakubanas family. We

categorically refused, saying that we knew what that had cost us at a time when we were all

going to be decimated. Ndungutse went to the commune office in person without having got

the consent of the population. He came back in the afternoon. He organised the Hutus that

hed found in the centre of Karuteye. He told them that the commune administration had

decided that the Tutsis must die. He showed them the keys of the gun shop. He added that the

police would not have a chance to save Tutsis because they had been disarmed. AlfredRuzirabwoba was on the spot. He said that a Tutsi named Innocent Kamanzi, who now lives

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in Gitarama, wanted to know what was going on and Ndungutse asked him why he was still

alive.

On the night of 7 April, Ndungutse led an attack against Ndakubanas family. The leaders

were Innocent Tuyisenge and Gakwisi who are both in exile. The others who took part were:

Alfred Ruzirabwoba, in detention in Kibuye; Anselme Ndagijimana, imprisoned in Kibuye;

Valens Rutayisire, who is at home; Anastase Gasarasi, who lives in our cellule; Fidle

Habintwari, detained in Kibuye. These five people were from Nyange sector. But there were

also some from Ndaro sector: Laurent Uzabakiriho, in exile; Batari, abroad; Nzabagerageza,

in prison in Kibuye; Augustin Uzabakiriho, in exile; Didace Habyarimana, deceased; Elias

Habiyakare, deceased; Byavugabandi, he lives in the cellule; Baruhenkuyu, in exile;

Kamanzi, in exile; Bashimiryayo, deceased; Nibakure, deceased.

We were armed with machetes. When we reached Ndakubanas house, his boys and other

Tutsis who had rallied around them chased us away. We returned to tell Ndungutse that we

had been beaten. He went to ask for reinforcements from Ndaro sector. The people in this

sector responded massively and were under the leadership of Laurent Hategekimana and

Tlsphore Nzabagerageza, nicknamed Rukoko, who is detained in Kibuye prison. The people from Ndaro sector had brought torches. When these reinforcements arrived, we

neutralised the Tutsis who had gathered at Ndakubanas home. Some of them fled while

others remained inside the house. Before going into the enclosure, we demolished the fence.

We were under the overall command of Ndungutse and there were three prongs to the attack.

Murambi cellule had been divided into three zones and each one of the gangs had a zone to

control. The north part was led by Habyarimana, nicknamed Runombe and Franois-

Xavier Kayitare. The centre was led by Innocent Tuyisenge, in exile and Gakwisi, while the

south was led by Vdaste Habiyakare nicknamed Kavara, who is at home. Inside

Ndakubanas house were his daughter-in-law, Thodosie Uwimana, and her three children

and his other grandson called Thodore Ngaboyishema. Ruzirabwoba was part of this assault

team and he explained what happened.

I went into the house from the side where the cows stayed and I made Thodore come out.

Once outside Ngabirinda and I knocked him out. Ndakubana himself had died in a trafficaccident in 1993. His wife had also died before the genocide due to illness. The others insidethe house were killed by Laurent Hategekimana, in exile, and Tlsphore Nzabagerageza.Others were taken from the house and killed and the place was strewn with their bodies. Theywere buried the next day on the orders of certain commune authorities including FulgenceKayishema, the IPJ, Joseph Habiyambere, the judge, and a policeman, Munyantarama. During

the funeral, Ndakubanas son named Epimaque Rurasire asked the judge and the IPJ how itwas possible to bury the bodies of the victims without holding an inquiry when it wasapparent that the victims had been killed with machetes. They replied that it was not evenknown who killed the President of the Republic and that as a result we should bury peopleknown as dogs without comment and without further ado. They then asked him who he

thought had killed his loved ones. He replied that it was definitely Tlsphore Ndungutse. Asproof, he showed them pieces of the cracked cement that had been taken from his house andused to kill the victims. The bodies of victims were buried with dignity. Kayishema andHabiyambere were accompanied by Habarugira, Nyanges councillor, currently in prison, andClestin Bakunzibake, Murambis responsable, now dead. They had come on board anambulance. That day, a lot of Tutsis abandoned their homes.

The burial took place on 8 April. The bodies of Ryumugabe and ThodosieNgaboyishema were buried. The others who were seriously wounded were driven to Nyange

clinic by Aloys Rwamasirabo. He is a Tutsi who survived the genocide and is a shopkeeper in Nyange. Thodosie was Rwamasirabos niece. When the killings were at their height, theinjured took refuge in Nyange church and were executed there.

On 9 April, seven Tutsis belonging to the Abaha clan were massacred. The next day localofficials came to attend the funerals. A lot of the victims relatives had already taken refuge in

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Nyange parish and they were summoned to attend the burials of their loved ones. Two

policemen, Munyantarama and Matyabire, as well as the Murambi cellule responsableBakunzibake, went to bring them. A hole was dug and the bodies dumped, then soil was

thrown on top. The survivors from this hill were also present. Here are the names of those

killed: Mukaruzindana and hwe son, Nzahabwanimana; Epiphanie Kantengwa, her daughter,

Nyiraneza and son Ndilima; Murwanashyaka; and Nyiranyamibwa. Among the perpetrators

were: Alfred Ruzirabwoba, who looted a cow; Emmanuel Nzabahimana; Fidle Habintwali;

Augustin Turatsinze Sagahutu, in prison; Riberakurora, in prison; Evariste Rutayisire, in

prison; Martin Bucyana, at home; Baruhenkuyu, in exile; Bizavugabandi, at home; Innocent

Tuyisenge, in exile; Gakwisi, in exile; Habyarimana nicknamed Runombe, in exile;

Ndagijimana, nicknamed Rukara, deceased, from Vungu; Rugondo, deceased, from

Kivumu sector; Dawurimwijuru, at home; Gatoya, in Gisovu prison; Gasarasi, at home;

Etienne Nyabyenda who escaped from prison; Sibomana, deceased; Anselme Ndagijimana, in

Kibuye prison; Mazimpaka, nicknamed Rutwe, at liberty in Gitarama; Ndagijimana, at home;

and Donatha Kamondo, in Kibuye prison. The following evening, a policeman named Adrien

Niyitegeka, in Kibuye prison, heard the shouts of people in Kigali sector. He went to ensure

their security. He shot in the air and the people destroying the houses fled.

On 10 April, roadblocks were erected on the border of Kigali sector and Murambi cellule.

This was between 6:00 to 6:30 a.m. Present at the roadblocks were Tharcisse Liberakurora,

Bashimiryayo and Valens Rutayisire. The Tutsis who were going by on their way to mass

were badly brutalised. The Kigali sector councillor, Callixte Niyibizi, was trying to protect

them. Up until that day, in his sector, only one Tutsi named Thomas Mwendezi had been

assassinated; he died on 8 April. He used to live in Bugabe cellule. His killers were arrested

the following day, then released on 11 April by the commune authorities.

Also on 10 April, the Tutsis cows began to be slaughtered. Ndakubanas cow was the first to

be slaughtered and it was handed over by Ndungutse to the group led by Kavara. Previously,

they used to stop us carrying out our everyday activities and kept encouraging us, instead, to

massacre Tutsis. Another slaughtered cow belonging to Rwakayiro, now dead, was given toTuyisenges group which also obtained the cow which belonged to Mucunguramfizi. His

heifer was sold for 6000 francs to Sasira, from Kibanda, who is now dead. Ndungutse had

become a real salesman of victims property and he kept the money himself. The fourth cow

slaughtered belonged to Kayigi, now dead. Runombes group ate it. When they shared the

meat, everyone got a piece depending on their strength. There were even some looters who

profited from the booty taken by another group. Sometimes people would come back empty-

handed because only the bravest were capable of getting a share. By 10 April, nine Tutsis had

been killed. Ndungutse ordered that the Tutsis cows be stolen, their houses looted and

destroyed. From this day on, the killings began during the day; previously they had taken

place at night. The following people were killed: Nkubana; Kazakura, Gatans son;

Mfurutas child, originally from Ndaro; Mutsiri; Kalisa, his three children and nephew; two of

Mukaronis children; two of Kagurubes grandsons; Mukashyaka; Sekamana; threeunidentified girls; Caroline, Madame Nkomeje; Eugne, from Kigali sector; Mrs Mudende;

Seburimbwa; Muhire; Gakwasi, a child who stayed at Kambandas house; two unknown

children who died in Mukabasebyas field; Sinzabakwira, who died in Hakuzimana and was

killed by Rukara with Ndagijimana and four soldiers from Nyange; Vrdiane Mukambuguje.

Apart from these victims, there was another person that Claude Nsanzabaganwa admits

having killed.

On 11 April, we took a break. This was a chance to drink beer bought for us that day by

Ndungutse. On 12 April, we went to hunt the Tutsis who had taken refuge in Kigali sector,

Gakoma cellule, bordering on our own. We had thrown stones at them. The people from this

sector had asked us to come and help them. They blew whistles, saying that Thomas

Rwamasirabo who had a Hutu wife, Ruzirabwobas sister, had thrown a grenade at the Hutus.

We were also told that the grenade had caused deaths and that Innocent Tuyisenge, Innocent

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Gakwisi and Athanase, nicknamed Rugondo were the victims. But this was not true. When

we arrived in Kigali sector, we fought with around seven Tutsis. They beat us and forced us to

withdraw. We went back home. Afterwards the same whistles began and this time, the people

said that their sector had just been attacked by inyenzi. They had captured a Tutsi namedEugne Nsanzimfura. They cut his throat that night in Murambi. Venant Kaganantagara, now

in Kibuye prison, was the person who blew the whistles.

On 13 April, the cellule responsable went to bring Tutsis whod taken refuge in Nyange parish. These were Ngiriyezes children. He had changed his ethnicity from Tutsi to Hutu

because of the events of 1959. On Thursday 14 April, Kayishema, and Thomodir, nicknamed

Kiragi, came to Karuteyes office on board a vehicle theyd stolen from Aloys

Rwamasirabo. Theyd installed loudspeakers on it. Kayishema, with the help of the

loudspeakers, urged the people to go and help Nyange parish because, he said, it had been

invaded by inyenzi. He went round the whole sector repeating the same slogans. He said thatanyone who didnt respond to his appeal would be punished or his or her house would be

destroyed. He told Ndungutse that no one was authorised to do anything until the problem of

the inyenzi had been dealt with.

Niyitegeka and NiyonzimaNgiriyezes soncame from the parish and told our gang that

we could confront the Tutsis who were at the parish despite their high number. When we

arrived at Nyange, the gendarmes who were there told us that there were too few of us and as

a result it would be difficult, even impossible, to challenge the refugees when their number far

exceeded our own. They told the Tutsis to defend themselves and they threw stones at us. We

didnt manage to fight back. The gendarmes were there only as observers. After this

confrontation, our gang retreated. There were about 200 of us while there were more than

2000 refugees. The people of Nyange came to witness these events. When we got back we

decided to return the next day. Along the road, we met a trader from Kigali called Gaspard

Kanyarukiga, who was originally from Kivumu. He told us that a force must be established to

kill the Tutsis in Nyange church. He said that their relatives, the inkotanyi, had come to free

them and that later they would wipe out the Hutus. He specified that the inkotanyi had alreadyarrived in Mushubati commune. We were with: Habintwari, in prison; Ruzirabwoba, in

prison; Gasarasi, at home; Valens Rutayisire, at home; Anselme Ndagijimana, in prison; Elias

Habiyakare, now dead; Innocent Gakwisi, in exile; Turatsinze Sagahutu, in prison; Tharcisse

Liberakurora, at home; Innocent Tuyisenge, in exile; Baruhenkuyu, in exile; Bashimiryabo,

deceased; Didace Habyarimana, deceased; Nibakure, deceased; Mazimpaka, in exile; Gaspard

Habiyaremye, at home; Ndagijimana Rukara, deceased; Jean-Paul Nyirimbuga, deceased; and

Vedaste Ndagijimana, deceased.

On 15 April at 9:00 a.m., nearly a third of the Hutu population of Kivumu was present at

Nyange parish. They had come to confront the Tutsis taking refuge there. Ndungutse,

Kayishema, the bourgmestre, Gaspard Kanyarukiga, the judge, Joseph Habiyambere and the

gendarmes mentioned above met with Father Athanase Seromba within the parish enclosure.They continued their meeting in the house used by CODECOKI, the Kivumu development

cooperative. After the meeting, they left and came to tell us that the people inside the parish,

whom they called inyenzi, must be massacred. It was the bourgmestre himself who said thesewords. They gathered stones and began throwing them into the crowd of Tutsi refugees. The

gendarmes told the refugees to find a way to defend themselves. The Tutsis retaliated

effectively and once again we were forced back. What saved us was that Rukara intervened,

throwing at least three grenades into the crowd. As many of them were beginning to give up,

some chose to go inside the priests houses. Rushema, who was a teacher at Kivumu

secondary school in Rugasari, went to bring the caterpillar bulldozer from the ASTALDI

society. It was driven by a Zairian named Maurice, and Mitima drove a lorry. They had the

idea of transporting the victims remains and throwing them in the river. But they thought that

this was hard work because the number of bodies was incalculable, so much so that they

couldnt transport them. They chose to bury them instead. They dug three mass graves with

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the help of the machine and threw the bodies in. To bury them, the bodies were loaded into

the lorry. After this task, they used guns and arrows to kill the survivors who remained in the

church. This time, in addition to the gendarmes who were there, the communal police and

reservists intervened. Among the policemen were Rangira, detained in Kibuye;

Munyantarama; Matyabire, now dead; and Niyitegeka. The reservists included Kabalisa and

Rukara. We dont know where they are.

The use of firearms allowed the civilian population to go inside the church so as to kill the

refugees. They threw in dynamite. Seeing that they didnt get the expected result, the

gnocidaires brought around five litres of petrol. Thodomir provided it, bringing it in his car.

Nibareke, helped by Faustin Uwarinaniye, used a watering can to fling it into the crowd. They

used banana leaves to help the petrol light easily. As it was late, we didnt manage to finish

what we had begun. We decided to leave and to return the next morning. The people of

Kibilira, who had come to help us on Ndungutses orders, remained at the parish. The

commune authorities promised them a cow to slaughter that night and they kept their promise.

Very early on the morning of the 16th

, we returned to Nyange. We found the church shut

except for a few holes from grenade explosions. Nonetheless it was surrounded by fires lit bythe people of Kibilira. The bourgmestre was the first to take the lead, shooting in the church.

He was helped by the gendarmes. First they smashed down the doors and windows of the

church. People threw stones in. The Tutsis had put up a strong resistance so much so that the

authorities again sought the support of the bulldozers used the day before. The final solution

was to demolish the church completely. The drivers who had worked the day

beforeMaurice, Albert Mitima and Anastase Nkinamubanziset to work again. They began

with the side bordering the main road from Gitarama to Kibuye. Father Seromba had told

them to demolish it as in future they would rent machines to level where they were going to

build the diocese. The gnocidaires completely destroyed the church and the Tutsis perished

there. Those who tried to get out were killed by civilians using traditional weapons like

machetes. The bodies were loaded onto machines and transported to the graves they had dug.

We returned to our respective cellules on 17 April and had a village party. We drank banana

beer which had come from the Tutsis fields. The first beer was drunk at Kanyeshyambas

home. The second time we drunk beer at Kanyeshyambas again, and finally, it was at

Ngirababyeyis. What followed was the destruction of the Tutsis houses. Previously we had

taken the roofs off. You really needed strength to get tiles, otherwise youd come back empty-

handed. Those who managed to find tiles quickly used them to build their own houses. After

looting came the destruction. It was as if people werent sleeping because they got up very

early in the morning. The principal targets were cows. Secondly, the looters hurried to seize

the tiles, doors and windows. They didnt leave the walls intact; they were also demolished.

In May, the Hutu women married to Tutsis were afraid of seeing their children killed before

their eyes. They decided to take them to their maternal grandparents. The belief that it wasnecessary to kill mixed children had come from the displaced people who were searching for

inkotanyi. They told us that these people were killing Hutus. It was after wed heard thissuggestion that we saw Ndungutse with guns. He had five of them and one of his own.

Vdaste Matusaremu had one of these weapons. These guns were used, amongst other things,

to kill the children born of Hutu mothers and Tutsi fathers. They were also used to control the

roadblocks. These roadblocks had been set up after the massacre in Nyange under the orders

of Ndungutse and Kayishema. However, Ndungutse asked for money from these Hutu women

to protect their children. He went back on his promise when the displaced people searching

forinkotanyi arrived in Nyange. Ndungutse had a plan to attack Higiros family, a Hutu whohad a Tutsi grandson. With his supporters he went to tell the bourgmestre that there were

inkotanyi at Higiros who had rifles to protect themselves. Ndungutse implemented hismacabre plan because he immediately attacked the Higiro family and the children targeted

were assassinated. The same day, seven other Tutsis were killed. The next day a woman

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called Christine Mukashyaka was killed by assailants led by Ruzirabwoba. This attack

claimed the lives of Blandines two children. They were buried at Kagurubes, who is now

deceased.

In general the bodies of victims were buried in anti-erosion ditches. Another grave held at

least three people. The principal arms used in the massacre of Tutsis were clubs and

machetes. Women and girls werent raped.

Women didnt play a large part in the genocide, except for Mukagahima and Mukarwego who

slit the throat of a man who had taken refuge at their house. The rest of the women only

harvested crops which were still in the fields.


When the inkotanyi invaded the country, in Kibilira, Gisenyi, Tutsis were killed and theirhouses burned. We were lucky because our bourgmestre, Juvnal Rwanzegushira, fought to

prevent such acts of vandalism. He had just been appointed to the post a couple of days beforethe inkotanyi attacked. He vehemently defended his commune with the help of his policemen.The police from Kivumu commune were gathered all along the commune border to oppose

the eventual incursions, which might have come from Gisenyi. The Tutsis from our commune

werent attacked because of the bravery and humanity of the new bourgmestre.

At the time of multipartyism in 1993, the supporters of two large political parties fought.

These were:

MRND, represented by Tlsphore Ndungutse and the president of the local militia.

He was assisted by Jean Baptiste Kagenza, the primary school inspector.

MDR, which we baptised Rukokoma, represented by Jean Kayitare. He was apeasant in whom everyone had confidence and showed extreme reverence towards.

This was explained by the fact that at the time of Grgoire Kayibandas government,

he was the Rwandese ambassador to Belgium or Germany.

Each political party sought to gain mass popularity at all costs. The leaders gave out

clothes like hats with the aim of getting lots of supporters. MRND went so far as to ask

for 50 francs from each supporter to buy a party card.

Before the genocide began, there were warning signs of a disastrous situation. To that

end, young people were going to Kigali to get military training. We learned that the

commune and school authorities were holding meetings either at the commune office orat Nyange parish. The bourgmestre, the assistant bourgmestres, certain commune

employees, councillors and teachers took part in these meetings. They were held with

great discretion so that we, the ordinary people, couldnt be invited there. When the

massacres began, we realised that the aim of these meetings was none other than to

eliminate the Tutsis. Among those involved were:

Grgoire Ndahimana, bourgmestre of Kivumu commune;

Father Seromba, priest of Nyange parish;

Tlsphore Ndungutse, a teacher who lived in our cellule. He was the one who killed

and arranged the killings of the Tutsis in our cellule; and

Vdaste Mupenda, assistant bourgmestre in Kivumu commune.

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Nearly all the residents of the cellule knew about President Habyarimanas death on the

morning of 7 April. The radio called upon people to remain calm and stay in their houses.

Gatherings were forbidden, but this wasnt the case for Hutus in our cellule. They walked

around without any problems. The teacher Tlsphore Ndungutse patrolled the cellule with

some young people. We didnt know that he was preparing to put an extermination plan, that

had been conceived long before, into action. The killers didnt even wait for the space of a

single day to begin work. The hunt for Tutsis began immediately on the evening of 7 April.

During that night, they attacked Grgoire Ndakubanas home and found the following people

there:

Thodosie Uwimana, Ndakubanas wife. She was beaten with machetes and went to

Nyange parish where she died soon afterwards;

Ephrem Ndamyumugabe who died at the health centre later; and

Thodore Ngaboyishema, killed with a machete on the spot.

The perpetrators were:

Alfred Ruzirabwoba, in Kibuye prison; Faustin Ngabirinda, who lives in the cellule. He says that he is innocent of the

accusations against him;

Valens Rutayisire, who pleads guilty to this main accusation against him.

The next day they hunted for men, not only in their homes, but in the fields and bushes. The

homes of Tutsis were immediately set alight and all their property looted. A lot of Tutsis took

the road to the parish that day where they were hoping to find asylum. The choice of Nyange

parish was not by chance. At the time of the inkotanyi attack in 1990, certain Tutsis fromKibilira managed to escape a massacre since theyd taken refuge at the parish in the area.

Certainly their homes were destroyed but when calm was restored the authorities called upon

people to help Tutsis without shelter to build them again. This is one of the reasons why

Tutsis from Murambi went to Nyange parish.

On 9 April, men led by Tlsphore Ndungutse pursued the Tutsis from the large Baha family

and killed seven people there: Epiphanie Kantengwa; Nyiraneza, Kantengwas daughter;

Emmanuel Ndirima; Josphine Mukaruzindana and her daughter Rumende; Nyiranyamibwa,

alias Njyuguri; and Murwanashyaka. The survivors took refuge with the priests at Nyange

parish as had happened in 1959. They were immediately summoned to come and bury their

relatives. Three people came to bring them back from the parish. These were: Clestin

Bakunzibacye, the cellule responsable, now dead and Adrien Niyitegeka, alias Maharamu,a communal policeman now in Kibuye prison. After the burial, they went back to the parish.

On 10 April and in the days that followed, the houses, which belonged to the Baha family,were burned and their property was stolen. The livestock was taken by the bravest. After each

attack, the interahamwe came back with their booty. Seeing that there were plenty of cows,

they began to sell them to the people. The old man Adrien Uwiragiye, one of the

interviewees, bought one that the interahamwe had just looted from Suzanne Nyirabarera, a

Hutu woman married to a Tutsi. She had given them this cow to prevent them from killing her

children. But sadly the militiamen didnt spare them; they were executed on 15 May.

Ndungutse had set up a committee responsible for selling the property of victims. Adrien had

bought this cow from this association for 10,000 francs. They celebrated by eating meat. The

interahamwe took any valuable propertychairs, tables, armchairs and mattresses, leaving

behind things of the lowest value for ordinary peasants. The produce from the fields went to

ordinary peasants, for instance, sweet potatoes, cassava and bunches of bananas.

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The houses were completely destroyed. The tiles, windows and doors were taken by the

gnocidaires. Ndungutse distributed the land owned by victims as he pleased. Whats more,

he took the lions share, monopolising the land which belonged to Ndakubanas family. He

had demarcated this area to show people that it was his own property.

From 8 April, a lot of Tutsis came from all sectors to take refuge at Nyange parish. They

thought it was a place they could find shelter from persecution. When they arrived at the

parish, the refugees were left to themselves. Nonetheless, some individuals of good will put

their body and soul into bringing them something to eat. The villagers from the cellule carried

out this act of charity on the quiet for fear that they would be caught by Ndungutses militia.

He had ordered them to spy on everyone who might try to take provisions to the refugees at

the parish.

The meeting to prepare the massacre of the refugees took place at Nyange parish on 14 April.

The authorities never stopped coming and going to the parish. There were authorities from the

commune and other influential people from Kivumu commune, and businessmen, the most

well known being Gaspard Kanyarukiga; Ndungutse; the bourgmestre, Ndahimana;

Kayishema; Habiyambere; and Father Seromba. This meeting began upstairs in the presbyteryand continued at the Kivumu commune development cooperative, CODEKOKI. That day our

traditional weapons were taken from us and the people were forbidden to give us anything to

eat. Ndungutse went to the cellule to get the militia together. That was how the young people

from there were mobilised to prepare for the work planned for the next day. Ndungutse and

Kayishema came to transport the young people in Aloys Rwamasirabos vehicle, which

theyd taken from him forcibly. He was a much sought after Tutsi shopkeeper from the area.

On 15 April, the peasants knew what they would find at the parish. The councillor and the

responsables had already spread the message. The gendarmes, policemen, reservists, peoplefrom Kibilira and civilians surrounded the place where the refugees were. A large crowd,

difficult to count, was present. They shot at the refugees and nearly half of them lost their

lives there. Some tried to escape but were immediately killed. Others were pursued in thelittle parish forest. The bodies of victims were lying down in the parish courtyard. Those who

were shut in the church felt deep desolation. The gnocidaires guarded it all night so that no

refugee could escape them.

On 16 April, the killers came back accompanied by peasants, armed with machetes, sticks,

spears and arrows. The refugees had shut the door of the church so that the gnocidaires

couldnt get in there despite firing their guns. They also threw grenades but didnt manage to

kill all the refugees. The final solution was to bring the bulldozers to demolish the church.

The survivors and people from Murambi cellule called Charles Kagenza who was in thechurch to testify. He said:

Father Seromba, Ndungutse, Kanyarukiga and some priests were upstairs in the presbyteryand watched how the militia threw grenades at us. When the bulldozers arrived, the driverdidnt know that they were coming to destroy the church. It was Father Seromba who orderedthe driver Athanase Nkinamubanzi, from Kibilira, to destroy the church. He asked the priest:

Father, is it true that you are ordering me to destroy this church? And the priest replied:We Hutus are numerous and will build another one.

The authorities and Father Seromba were upstairs. They watched us like spectatorsduring the demolition of the church. There were about 1000 of us in the church before its totalcollapse.

After the atrocities committed at the parish, the killers pursued people who had escaped the

massacre at the parish and those who were related to Tutsis. The children with Tutsi fathers

and Hutu mothers were killed next. On 15 May the following people were killed: Kalisa,

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2.4. Nsibo Cellule


The atmosphere in Nsibo didnt suddenly become tense with the death of PresidentHabyarimana on 7 April. People heard of the slaughter of Tutsis in certain cellules like

Murambi and in Kigali and Ngobagoba sectors. This lasted for two days. Then on 9 April,

the first person to incite hostility was Mudenge, now in exile. On his way back from

Kigali, he had joined the people drinking beer at Vincent Rutabanas bar, a Tutsi who was

killed. There were about a dozen Hutus and a few Tutsis, including Rutabana; Jean

Baptiste Kayiranga and Rudasingwa. Mudenge didnt understand how the Tutsis could

walk around freely, even turning up in the bars. He directly began the murders of Tutsis

in the cellule by seriously hurting Habumugishaby hitting him with an empty bottle. The

poor man tried to save himself by going to Nyange church, but in vain; he was finished

off by a group of gnocidaires in Nyange business centre in Nsibo, near the statue of the

Virgin Mary. The Tutsis were frightened and immediately headed for the church to take

refuge. The next day, several attacks against Tutsis began. The first team was formed atNyange business centre. Under Mudenges command, it went to Dusenyi, the place where

a lot of Tutsis from Nsibo were staying. The interahamwe invaded Ndayambajes home

first. After his property was looted, his house was set alight. The same thing happened at

Tlsphore Ndayambajes house. No blood was spilt that day because the Tutsis from the

area had fled, most of them to Nyange church. The other perpetrators who were involved

were Mudahunga, alias Muhogo, at liberty and Hakorimana, both at liberty.

On 11 April, there was another raid in Rubyiniriro aimed at invading the district called

Nsibo mountain, where there were a lot of Tutsis. They had already left for Nyange

parish. The killers made do with looting numerous goats and cows. There were about 12

cows belonging to Senkware. The looters were: Stanislas Nzeyimana, in Kibuye prison;

Alexis Higaniro, at liberty; Donat Bicahaga, in Kibuye prison; Fidle Ndabananiye, in

Kibuye prison; and Alexis Ngarambe, a refugee.

On 9 April, Nyange parish, which is situated in Nsibo, became a place of refuge for

thousands of Tutsis from Kivumu commune. It was a very solid Gothic-style building,

dating back to 1935. The refugees believed that it was a secure place where people

wouldnt dare pursue them. Thats why most of the Tutsis from Kivumu took the

precaution of going there. On 11 April, many refugees from all over Kivumu swarmed

through all the streets of Nsibo, heading for the parish. During the massive movement of

Tutsis, the looting and destruction of houses in Nsibo gathered pace. A crowd of

interahamwe invaded Shyogi from Vungu on 11 April. All of those pursued had left their

homes. Most of them were at the parish, others got asylum at homes of their Hutu friends,who were then forced by the commune authorities to take their guests to Nyange church.

Their property had also been removed. Not wishing to return empty handed the invaders

proceeded to set Aloys Kayishemas house on fire, and to destroy his son Cypriens

home.

From 12 April, on the orders of the commune authorities and Father Athanase Seromba

conveyed by Kayishemaseveral roadblocks were set up all over Nsibo, surrounding

Nyange church. The first one was in Nyange business centre, near the statue of the Virgin

Mary, about 80 metres from the church. It was under the control of Andr Nzabamwita,

alias Kimaranzara, in exile. His followers were: Mudenge; Kabalisa Munyejabo, in

Kibuye prison; Cyridion, nicknamed Gikeri, at liberty; Magabali, at liberty; Alfred, a

refugee; and Nsengiyumva, Karamukas son. The day after the massacres at Nyangechurch, the interahamwe militia received reinforcements of two reservists armed with R4

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guns. These were Thophile Rukara and Ephrem, both now in exile. The purpose of the

roadblock was to supervise the movement of Tutsis in the church. The interahamwe had

to be vigilant so that no refugee could escape. From the time it was set up, the refugees

were stripped of everything they were carrying to the parish. After 16 April, the date

Nyange church was destroyed, the interahamwe maintained their position and set

themselves the task of checking the identity cards of all the passers-by who were fleeing

the advance of the inkotanyi. In July, an unknown person, suspected of being a Tutsi diedthere.

The second roadblock was in Rugabano, under the watch of Jean-Marie, Maridosis son,

supervised by Nzabamwita, alias Kimaranzara. The interahamwe guarding it had

received an order to pursue Hutus who wanted to take food to the Tutsis at the church.

The group included the following militiamen: Jean-Marie, Karasankimas son, at liberty;

Dusabe, Butukus son, at liberty; and Kabalisa, a reservist armed with a gun. The

roadblock was taken down after the slaughter at Nyange church. Another roadblock was

at Dusenyi with the aim of checking the identity cards of all the passers-by. The reserve

corporal Anicet Bazimaziki was in charge of it. Hes now in Kibuye prison. He was

helped by Mvugirehe, a refugee and Habyarimana, alias Rukara. All of them hadgrenades. It is worth noting that all the roadblocks were under the supervision of

Kayishema, the IPJ. Gaspard Kanyarukiga, a trader in Ndera, Greater Kigali, who was

originally from Nyange, distributed notebooks to those in charge of the roadblocks, to

make reports.

From 11 April, the leading figures in Kivumu commune joined together to put in place

shrewd strategies aimed at catching all the refugees in their net. The group included:

Grgoire Ndahimana, the bourgmestre; Gilbert Kanani, assistant bourgmestre, now in

exile; Father Athanase Seromba, in prison in Arusha; Kayishema, the IPJ; Habiyambere,

the judge; Kanyarukiga; Ndungutse; a representative of the gendarmes, nicknamed

Kamarampaka; all the councillors of Kivumu commune.

From their first meeting, they gave themselves the task of gathering together all the Tutsis

in the same place. They studied all the possible ways of convincing Hutus of getting rid

of their Tutsi guests. Each councillor was given the job of convincing those in their sector

to accompany Tutsis to the church, suggesting that the place was strategic for security and

for food supplies. The family of Aloys Bonera from Nsanza is among those who came

last. They were accompanied by Arnaud in Kibuye prison and Thomas Munyabarenzi.

They crossed the roadblock in the centre of Nyange business centre, after handing over

3000 Rwandese francs to the militiamen guarding it, including Kimaranzara, Mudenge

and Kabalisa Munyejabo. At this time the refugees were scattered in three places: the

Kivumu commune office; Nyange health centre and Nyange parish. After the meeting

they decided to gather all the refugees in the church. So the resolution to bring the

gendarmes from their headquarters in the prfecture was adopted unanimously. Theirvehicles were even unloaded that evening. By the following day theyd already

surrounded the church.

On 13 April, the same group held another meeting at the commune office. Father

Seromba and a man called Gilbert were given the responsibility of making sure that the

refugees didnt bring anything with them that they could use to defend themselves. That

was why at the end of the meeting, they sent people to carry out a tour of the church and

turn all the property of the refugees upside down. They didnt find any weapons. The

evening of the same day, Kayishema conveyed the message that anyone who dared bring

anything to the refugees would be severely punished. It was strictly forbidden for a man

called Ananie to ever make doughnuts in the centre of Nyange in case any Tutsi might

buy one.

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On 14 April, all the access roads into the parish were closed by the interahamwe and

gendarmes. The militia began the slaughter of Tutsis. A group of 12 Tutsis from Nyanza,

accompanied by Rangira, died on the road to the church, above the Rubyiniriro business

centre. The victims were killed with clubs and machetes by a group of killers led by

Cyimana, Kanyenzi and his son Kayihura, all in exile. The bodies were buried the

following day, at the place they were murdered. The same day, the refugees ability to

defend themselves was tested by aggressors from Murambi, under Ndungutses

command. The refugees managed to hold them off by throwing stones between 3:00 p.m.

and 5:00 p.m

the history of the genocide in nyange sector - august 2003 - african rights-

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