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NYAMIRAMBO, BURYING IN DIGNITY
Time code
Person
Speaking
Words
00:03:31:00
Padiri
It is very good to start this action by prayers because we all
know that our loved lost ones believed in God too. Let us
pray for them so that, when to heaven, they find peace they
missed on earth. May they rest in peace.
00:03:54:24
Padiri
As you are all here to pay your last respect to them tonight
and as we have all come to mourn for them; I would like, if
you don’t mind, we take a moment to remember each and
every one of them. As you can see, these are not just chests;
they are coffins containing human bones.
00:04:27;08
Padiri
They were people like all of us but they missed their lives
under our sights. I would now like Aimable comes closer
and remind us their names so that we know who they are.
00:04:50:10
Padiri
I would so like you remain standing for this short while as
to pay respect to them. But if anyone feels weak or whose
back cannot hold, he/she can sit.
00:05:00:17
Aimable
Baziga Aloys’ family: Baziga Aloys, his wife Baziga
Beatrice, Baziga Bayingana Odace, Baziga Dusabe Jeanne,
Baziga Uwantege Chantal, Baziga Kalisa.
00:05:21:09
Aimable
Mbonigaba Charles’s family: Mbonigaba’s wife Mbonigaba
Niyimurora Marie Jeanne, Mugaju jean Berchimas.
00 :05 :31 :22
Aimable
Nyamuhwegera’s family : Mahijori Francois Regis,
Uzamukunda Jeanne D’Arc, Mukandahiro Alice, Kabanda
Innocent.
00 :05 :52 :18
Aimable
Murengezi Ildephonse’s family:
Mrs. Murengezi
Mukeshimana Nora, Murengezi Claude, Murengezi
Kayitesi Claudette, Murengezi Ingabire Francine,
Mukasomo Francoise
Beatrice
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Person
Speaking
Words
00 :06 :12 :10
Aimable
Munyandamutsa
Barnabe.
Barnabe’s
family:
Munyandamutsa
00 :06 :23 :05
Aimable
Nkurikiyumwami’s family: Nkurikiyumwami Theodomir,
Kwirahira, Mutagomwa,
Uwanyana, Uwantege, Mukandekezi, Sibomana, Eflore and
Mutagomwa Fils.
00 :06 ::38 :15 Aimable
Muhikira Leon’s family :Muhikira
Carpefore, Muhikira Ines.
Pauline,
Cecile,
00 :06 :49 :14
Aimable
Semana Pierre’s family: Mrs. Mikanyangezi Domina, Belice
Alphonsine.
00 ;06 :58 :21
Aimable
Kabalisa Patin’ family: Kabalisa Pathin, Mrs. Kabarisa
Goretti, Umuzigazuba Clemantine,
Umuringa Ainne, Bonesha Olivier.
00 :07 :14 :21
Aimable
Karamika’s family: Karamuka.
00 :07 :18 :19
Aimable
Alphonse Harelimana’s family, Uwantege Antoinette,
Kagabo Cecile.
00 :07 :25 :19
Aimable
Hakizimana Fidel’s family: Hakizimana
Hakizimana Veneranda, Rosine.
00:07:37:03
Aimable
Rwaburiza Bonaparte’s family: Mrs. Rwaburiza Pennine,
Rwaburiza Thierry.
00:07:45:07
Aimable
Kabisa Jean Damascene’s family, Mrs. Kabisa Uwimana
Appolinaria,Ingabire Habine, Uwacu Cynthia, Uwamariya
Claire, Ngwinusenge Donate, Utamuriza D’Amour,
Gasigwa,
Fidel,
Mrs.
Kayisire, Mpunga Appolinaire, Ngwinutete Grace.
00:08:11:10
Aimable
Rudahunga Gabriel’s family: Matete, Pierre, Vicky.
00 :08 :16 :11
Aiamble
Karera Antoine’s family: Mr. Karera Antoine, Mrs. Karera
Mukampizi Joseohine,
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Person
Speaking
Words
Mugabo Jean Michel, Akimana Jean.
00 :08 :28 :23
Aimable
Gatete Fidel’s family: Mrs. Gatete Mukabaranga Therese,
Musaniwabo Gatete Toto,
Uwanyirigira.
00:08:44:15
Aimable
Mwiseneza Ildephonse’s family: Mr. Mwiseneza Ildephonse
Abdul, Mrs. Mwiseneza Umurerwa Alice, Mwiseneza
Rugira Jules, Musanabera Marcel.
.00:08:57:17
Aimable
Kabayiza Charles’ family: Mr. Kabayiza Charles, Mrs.
Kabayiza Mujawayezu Donatilla,
Kabayiza Leon Claude, Mundere Andre.
00:09:15:22
Aimable
Murigande Octave’s family: Murigande Urujeni Liliane,
Murigande Murekatete Micheline,
Murigande Mateteri Lorance,
Liliose, Murigande Umubyeyi
Murigande Mutanguha
Assumpta.
00 :09 :34 :00
Aimable
Nsengiyumva Jean’s family: Mr. Nsengiyumva Jean.
00 :09 :39 :07
Aimable
Ruzindana Leopord’s Family: Mrs. Ruzindana Uwamwezi
Donatille, Ruzindana Leon
Toto.
00 :09 :53 :21
Aimable
Chaste »s family: Mrs. Chaste Umulisa Josee.
00 :10 :03 :11
Aimable
Kaboyi Jean Berchimans’ family: Kaboyi Jean Baptiste.
00 :10 :08 :12
Aimable
Twagiramungu Tito’s family: Mr. Twagiramungu Tito.
00 :10 :16 :01
Aimable
Baganahe’s family : Mr. Baganahe.
00 :10 :18 :00
Aimable
Sekanuma’s family : Mr. Sekanuma.
00 :10 :23 :15
Aimable
Kamugisha Alexandre’s family : Mr. Kamugisha Alexandre,
Uwayezu Godelive and her child.
00 :10 :33 :03
Aimable
Habarugira Omar’s family : Mrs. Habarugira Umulisa
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Person
Speaking
Words
Jeanne, Rusanganwa Abdul.
00 ;10 :44 :08
Aimable
Kimenyi Omar’s family : Mr. Kimenyi Omar, Mrs. Kimenyi
Karangwa.
00 :10 :54 :11
Aimable
Simugomwa Tharcisse’s family : Mikamugenzi Lorance
and her child.
00:10:55:11
Aimable
Kamuzinzi’s family: Doroteya.
00:11:03:02
Aimable
Uwizigiye
Danille’s
family:
Uwizigiye
Ntukanyagwe Charles, Ngendahimana,
Danille,
Nkundabaganzi.
00:11:10:14
Aimable
Hategekimana gerald’s family:
Alice, Gatesi Aline, Ndabarasa
bateta Bennite, Kagoyire
Jean claude.
00:11:27:15
Aimable
Rwabuhungu Jean Pierre’s family: Mr Rwabuhungu Jean
Pierre.
00:11:31:05
Aimable
Kabalisa Aloys’
Kabazayire Alice.
00:11:43:07
Aimable
Munderere christophe’s family: Mr. Munderere Christophe.
00:11:49:12
Aimable
Bizimungu’s family, Bizimungu Mark, Devota Mukamana.
00:11:58:02
Aimable
Bucyana Jean Bosco’s family: Mr. Bucyana Jean Bosco.
00:12:02:16
Aimable
Nkurunziza Alexis’
Murenzi Jean.
00:12:15:04
Aimable
Ildephonse’s family, Gasake’s family, Kamatari, Vanjiri’s
family, Nyirabakiga’s family,
family:
Nyinawindekwe
family:
Mr.
Athanasie,
Nkurunziza
Alexis,
Kapitsa’s family, Murayire’s family, Katoperi’s family.
00:12:32:24
Aimable
Ngabonziza’s family, Rwabudodori’s family, Ancila’s
family, Karinijabo’s family, Mupira’s family, Murangira’s
family, Kanyenyeri Phocas’ family.
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Time code
Person
Speaking
Words
00:15:09:00
Padiri
In that time, it was Sabbath and Jesus got into the temple.
00:15:13:03
Padiri
There was a man with a disabled hand. Scribes and Pharisee
were watching Jesus to see if he dares healing that man on
the day of Sabbath, they would so have an blame to put on
him.
00:15:30:06
Padiri
Jesus knew their thoughts and told the man whose hand
was disabled:” Get up and stand in the middle of us.”
00:15:44:10
Padiri
He got up and Jesus told them:” Let me ask you something;
what is supposed to be done on Sabbath? Something good
or bad?”
00:15:59:19
Padiri
He looked around through them and told the man whose
hand was disabled:” Hold out your hand.” The man did so,
and his hand was mended.
00:16:13:15
Padiri
The scribes and Pharisee were very angry hatching plots to
harm Jesus. That is the holy reading.
00:16:23:08
Abantu
bose
Praise Jesus.
00:16:40:23
Padiri
Dear brethren, this fact of burying our parents, siblings,
friends and children is based on that we remember them.
00:16:55:07
Padiri
What makes us remember them is nothing but the fact that
they symbolize kindness; the kindness they acquired from
God. It means that it was a gift they had received from God.
00:17:22:14
Padiri
Those good facts that make us remember them are the ones
who make them saints. To be a saint is not to do nothing
like a picture; it is not to let a fly make a mess in your milk.
To be a saint is to fight for good to everyone around you.
00:17:45:12
Padiri
To be a saint is to be full of love. True love that does not end
in words but love that sees needs of people around and
come in help.
00:18:07:10
Padiri
The love that takes care of others’ sadness and that joins
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Person
Speaking
Words
them when they are happy. That is what we remember
about the dead to whom we are paying respect tonight.
00:18:24:01
Padiri
I am doubtless that the God’s reward we wish them, they
deserved it when they were with us through everything
they did until when they were lamentably killed.
00:18:42:07
Padiri
Our belief in God tells us that such kindness never ends
with his owner’s death. That is what will be our saying and
it will lead us to God.
00:19:05:16
Padiri
We read in the first reading that Saints will live forever and
their reward comes from the Lord. Beg the King so that you
be his shining crown and be embellished with a wonderful
ornament that comes from the Lord’s hands.
00:19:21:01
Padiri
When we talk about that, we would not consider it as if it
was something that is far away from us; we would not
consider it as if it was in heaven where we cannot reach and
see; we would not think it so far.
00:19:47:07
Padiri
That is then the purpose of what we are doing right now
and of the prayers we are saying. It is the crown that will be
offered to the Saints and that will come from the Lord’s
hands.
00:20:08:02
Padiri
That will be done by the hand of the Lord and we will see it
with our own human eyes. We will have been crowned and
we will be sure that these dead never stole, never killed,
never poisoned anyone. They were innocent.
00:20:21:20
Padiri
This is all we can do as to crown them; it begins with this
fact of paying to them the last respect and burying them
convenably. We also promise to never forget them.
00:20:36:12
Padiri
That is why we every year take this time to remember them.
It is just all we can do by our poor means to pay respect and
to express to them our gratitude, as some of them even even
in our place.
00:20:42:09
Padiri
Many of the women were killed trying to save their
children; the men were killed trying to save their family and
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Person
Speaking
Words
children were killed refusing to deliver their parents in the
hideaway.
00:21:16:04
Padiri
They were all scarified for us; we have so to pay them
respect and give them a place in our hearts as it is the fact
done by God’s arm.
00:21:37:16
Padiri
So as the Lord has no arms of his own apart from our own
arms; this would be for us as disabled right arms that
cannot permit us to serve ourselves.
00:21:49:03
Padiri
This fact is also important for us because the dead we are
accompanying now were our brothers or our spouses.
00:22:07:12
Padiri
There are some people who especially hurt my heart. When
you look at someone whom you loved much, when you get
the chance to bury him, you feel a kind of happiness in the
very deep of yourself.
00:22:16:18
Padiri
There is also a kind of force that activates our arm so that it
doesn’t feel disabled or trembled. We can so be able to pay
respect to our dead because our arm is like that of the Lord
himself.
00:22:28:02
Padiri
We have to think about why these Rwandans were killed; it
is…
We have at least to remember them and fight for that their
kindness never be forgotten…
00:33:49:17
Padiri
Oh Lord, give them an endless rest and may your light be
with them.
00:34:07:19
Padiri
God our Lord; be merciful to your faithful and remember
that when they were with us they expressed to you their
need to faithfully adhere you and do not punish them for
just their trespasses.
00:34:25:07
Padiri
Their holiness made them meet your faithful family. May
your grace let them be with your Angels and Saints in the
name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Time code
Person
Speaking
Words
00:36:24:23
Someone said that those who killed these people are the
ones who died instead of the ones they killed. The issue is
that you just went before us to where we are all supposed to
go. You may have in any case died child or adult but the
fact of killing God creatures who were made in the shape of
God…
00:36:46:19
As all the churches teach it, it is very catastrophic.
00:00:14:08
MC
Umulisa Jeanne and Rusanganwa Abdul, Kimenyi Omar’s
family: Mr. Kimenyi Omar and Mrs. Kimenyi and
Karangwa.
00:00:32
MC
Uwizigiye Danielle’s family.
00:29:59:06
Mc
I would like you who are standing in front of the coffins be
patient so that we can carry on the mourning ceremonies.
00:30:21:20
Mc
We will have enough time so that you come and stay as
long as you wish; you will be able to say some prayers if
you wish to; but let us first finish this part of ceremonies so
that we can go on the next programs.
00:35:20:13
Uwase
Today I want to pay my last respect to my father. I will try
to tell about his history though I cannot be through but I
will try to highlight the most sorrowful moments of his life.
00:35:33:18
Uwase
My name is Uwase Jeannine. My father is Mudenge
Genarde. He was born in 1958 and died in 1994. He was 56
when he died.
00:35:59:20
Uwase
He was born in the former Kibuye Prefecture where he got
married with my mother Mukarugabira Felicite.
00:36:15:12
Uwase
During the 1972 Rwandan crisis, he fled to Gisenyi though
it was like fleeing the nettle in the bush. There was no
change till 1990.
00:36:36:15
Uwase
He was put in jail because he was accused to be a cockroach
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Words
meaning that he was an Inkotanyi spy. It was said that
Inkotanyi were to come to our home to change their clothes
before they go on attacking Bralirwa factory and the airport.
00:36:54:16
Uwase
That was the first accusation that had to cost a head to my
father. The second accusation was that my father’s son had
joined Inkotanyi army.
00:37:15:07
Uwase
He was not my father’s son; he was a superior soldier that I
never knew because I was still a child.
00:37:22:24
Uwase
Our family suffered a lot because of that soldier’s name at
the point that no elder child of our family survived.
00:37:35:21
Uwase
In 1990 my father was jailed at Gisenyi. He was imprisoned
together with some other people suspected to be spies too.
00:37:54:18
Uwase
They were to be killed and thrown in Rwabayanga chasm.
In that time…I had just began secondary school but I was
old enough to see what was going on.
00:38:08:11
Uwase
The detainees wrote several letters to International
organizations and at the end of the day, their fate was no
longer death. They were sent to Kigali main detention
center.
00:38:18:14
Uwase
My father and his co-detainees stayed for four months
…they were having a very miserable life at the prison at the
point that at some moment they could not have what to eat
on; they used their shoes to eat. They were beaten and
maltreated. It was a real tale of suffering.
00:38:40:07
Uwase
I remember when my father was in jail; none came to visit
us at home. I remember one day; my brother was sick and
our father tried desperately to get a taxi in vain; none
wanted to help him.
00:39:12:04
Uwase
They said:” Even though you pay too much, we cannot take
money from a cockroach.” The weather was very rainy and
we were struggling a lot. Every visit we received at home
was reported at the commune office.
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Person
Speaking
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00:39:29:14
Uwase
We could not even buy something in the boutique. The
vendor had to check around and make sure that nobody is
seeing him giving us supplies.
00:39:54:05
Uwase
Something else I can remember; my elder sister was ending
senior six at Muramba secondary school. She was refused
her certificate because she was known as a cockroach child.
She could not get her certificate though she really deserved
it.
00:40:13:02
Uwase
Our father who had so served the country, our father who
won a medal of honor to have served the nation, he
unfortunately undergone such torture.
00:40:18:23
Uwase
My father stayed in jail and after a while he got freed and
came back home at Gisenyi. But in the meantime, it was
decreed that such a cockroach should no longer get a job
anywhwere in the country.
00:40:30:15
Uwase
After that, my father came to Kigali with the elder
children…and tried to find a job. He fortunately got one. It
was very clear that genocide was already planned.
00:40:49:07
UWASE
It was a very clear plan. Everybody who moved from one
city to another or from any area to another was secretly
followed and intently watched. Though none knew us in
the quarter where we leaved, they were obviously people
running behind us.
00:41:06:08
Uwase
I remember that almost all Kangura Newspaper numbers
had a comment about my father telling that he is an
infiltrated Inkotanyi. It was also said that he was the chiefcockroach at Gisenyi. He was persecuted at the point that
he wished to be Hutu for only one week just to get a free
time.
00:41:38:19
Uwase
We could never have a peaceable night. They always throw
stones on our roof in the night. At the school, we were
marginalized and our classmates were avoiding sitting with
us. All the people were corrupted.
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Words
TAPE 2
00:00:26:11
MC
The killers did not earn anything in their killing. These
people who were killed just suffered for a short while as it
has been told in the testimonies. This is time for Soreste
Group Impore; there may be some sins that the people we
are accompanying had committed before their death;
00:00:51:18
mc
We would like to join our prayers from all the churches that
are here right now to beg God to pardon their trespasses.
We know that they just went before us to where we are all
supposed to go at any moment.
00:01:18:22
mc
Though, we are still sorrowed by their departure.
00:03:44:03
MC
There are many who left behind them unsettled matters that
have now to be treated by the survivors. Remember that we
are living with those who killed our families; they are the
ones with whom we live;
00:04:12:20
mc
They are the ones we share everything. This would not be if
God was not there allowing impossible things to happen. It
would be difficult for Rwandans to keep believing in God,
whom we call God of love. It is true; he is God of love and
almighty.
00:04:27:05
mc
You who share this sorrow, I want you keep your cool, I
want to tell you that do not fear because Christ defeated the
evil, do not fear because we have a strong God who never
betrays his people.
00:04:45:15
mc
He promised us the words we read in Revelations 21,2
where he says:” I will wipe tears off their eyes and death
will never be again.”
00:04:55:20
Mc
That is why we never give up. The outside body gets
progressively old but the inside body keeps on renewing
every day.
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00:05:11:22
mc
Because our pain of this moment makes our burden heavier
but with your everlasting magnificence…
00:07:04:23
Sheikh
We can for sure talk about the Word of God but I would
like, first of all, to tell you something about what we are
doing right now. The same thing as this happened to the
Disciples and to the Prophets.
00;07;31;24
Sheikh
When God’s prophet Mohammed swalah alah alayih
wasalam lost his child called Ibrahim, some of his friends
looked in his face and saw that he was weeping, they asked
him:” you, God’s prophet who teaches us to be strong! Why
are you weeping?”
00:08:11:04
Sheikh
He answered:” verily I say unto you that eyes can weep and
the heart be grieved but the fact that Ibrahim left us is more
sorrowful than that.” I then want to tell you that it is very
regrettable that our siblings, our parents and our fellow
countrymen left us.”
00:08:51:01
Sheikh
I would then like to start my speech begging God to protect
us and deliver us from falling into the traps of the Devil
who were banned by God and who sinned against him.
00:09:26:22
Sheikh
In the name of our merciful and graceful God, may be
praised he who made the world and the heaven, he who
made us and put us in this world, he who made us with
many various creatures. It is he the Merciful and the
Graceful.
00:09:54:22
Sheikh
It is he the Greatest King; it is he who will judge our
behaviors. It is he whom we adore and praise.
00:10:23:08
Sheikh
Lead us to the straightest way, lead us to the way you want
us to follow and do not punish us for our trespasses but be
beside us and be merciful to us.
00;12:04:19
Pastor
You can just talk to Jesus in the very deep of your heart
saying:” My Lord Jesus Christ, let me be with you
forevermore.”
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00:12:17:03
Pastor
That is what will make you be again with these people who
left before us.
00:12:23:02
Pastor
The Devil did his best to grime our country but though,
Rwanda is within the plans of God. The Devil’s plan failed,
he wanted the whole people to be exterminated but this
could not be.
00:12:37:20
Pastor
It is God who created you and he loves you. Let us pray for
you who are here; tell God like this:” God, I give you my
heart; come and live inside me and let me ever see again
those who died before us.”
00:12:56:19
Pastor
Let us pray:” God, creator of heaven and world; we are
coming back in front of you tonight; we are humble before
your holy seat; we come towards your seat of mercy
00:13:19:00
Pastor
Asking not to consider how sinful we look but see Jesus’
face and let us beg you, the greatest King and wonderful
Parent, console our hearts which are grieved by the horrors
we saw and the reversions we heard. Our hearts which are
sorrowed by all bad things that happened in this country.
00:13:38:05
Pastor
We know that the Devil came with his advocates and
corrupted people who did not know you. He used those
who pretended to know your name but who really did not.
Be thanked and praised because you told us that there is
still hope that you are with us and that you are the source of
all faith.
00:13:52:20
Pastor
What we want you do for us is that you make the heart of
each and everyone who are here come closer to you. Give
all of us hope and salvation
00:14:05:19
Pastor
So that we know you and understand you better. Do that
our brethren who died and whom we are accompanying
tonight…your Word says that even the dead body of a
faithful man is important in front of you.
00:14:20:17
Pastor
We thank you to have granted us this time to accompany
them. They truly deserve it because they were very worthy
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in your eyes; they were your children and they were
important to you before they died. We thank you that they
were with you at the moment of their death, they died
happy. Lord, be praised and hallowed.
00:14:33:02
Pastor
We beg for your peace, we beg for your strength, we beg for
your salvation, we beg for your miracles oh Lord; come and
console these hearts which are grieved by what we saw and
heard, make them new as it is only you who can.
00:14:47:22
Pastor
Go before us and lead us; you are God who spends days
away and comes back home to Rwanda. We now see you in
Rwanda in the night and right now you are with us; we
want you come into all Rwandans’ hearts from everywhere
they may be and do great things for all of them.
00:15:07:16
Pastor
You are soothing our passion and giving us consolation;
you are giving us peace, you are giving us joy. This does not
come from a human; it comes from nothing but from your
holy seat where you reigns. Be worshiped and may your
reign last forever.
00:15:15:15
Pastor
Come and reign into Rwandans’ hearts. Come and lead
Rwanda our country. Be the one to command our hearts; be
the one to be praised. We know that one day we will see our
people who died before us and we will hail you.
00:15:27:00
Pastor
Thank you to have granted salvation to many hearts today,
thank you to have changed arrogant hearts and put them on
your way. Oh Lord, you are going to shift desperation into
hope in our hearts; you will strengthen the weak and you
will turn tears into laughter.
00:15:45:13
Pastor
When we are in difficult conditions like these, you come
and do miracles… Lord. You did it Lord for Lazarus; you
did it several times Lord. We know that you used to come
help to your people and now we, Rwandans, call upon you
to help us; you tell us in your holy word to always call for
your help once in need.
00:16:13:19
Pastor
Come into Rwandans’ hearts and do marvels. We thank you
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to have created everything; we thank you to have created
our hearts and to have strengthened them in these days of
sorrow. We thank you indeed; may your reign last forever.
00:16:22:21
Pastor
Stay with Rwandans and protect your people. Keep us in
your grace Lord; you are the creator of everything. May
Jesus Christ’s hand lead us. May the Devil be banned and
defeated in Jesus Christ’s name; may he be ashamed in
Jesus Christ’s name and all maledictions go back to him.
00:16:53:02
MC
We would like to show guests where to pass but I would
like first…
00:40:08:09
Mc
We would like to continue remembering people we are
paying our last respect to. There is Baziga Aloys’ family:
Mr. Baziga Aloys, Mrs. Baziga Beatrice, Baziga Jean, Baziga
Uwantege Chantal and Baziga Alice.
00:40:35:20
Mc
Mbonigaba Charles’s family: Mbonigaba’s wife Mbonigaba
Niyimurora Marie Jeanne, Mugaju jean Berchimas.
00:40:52:04
Mc
Nyamuhwegera’s family: we remember today Majori Legis,
Uzamukunda Jeanne D’Arc and Innocent.
00:41:10:03
Mc
Tonight we are remembering Murengezi Ildephonse’s
family: Mrs. Murengezi Mukeshimana Nora,Murengezi
Claude, Murengezi Kayitesi Claudette, Murengezi Ingabire
Francine and Francoise.
00:41:48:00
Mc
Nkurikiyumwami’s family : Nkurikiyumwami Theodomir,
Kwirahira, Mutagomwa,
Uwanyana, Uwantege, Mukandekezi, Sibomana, Eflore and
Mutagomwa Fils.
TAPE 4
00:00:05:18
UWASE
They lelf us orphans, they left widows and they left our
hearts so grieved.
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00:00:12:13
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The human being rights were violated and the fact of living
was worthless.
Let us listen to the second testimony and after that, we will
follow the speech of Mayor of Nyarugenge District. Nadine
is going to tell us her testimony; of course everybody here
can tell about what happened where he was.
00:01:35:10
Nadine
My name is Mwiseneza Nadine. I and my family lived at
Kicukiro. These are my parents: this is my father
Mwiseneza Abdul, this is my mother Umurerwa Alice and
this boy is my brother Rugira Jules.
00:02:04:22
Nadine
I was then in primary 5. At the beginning of all, it was in
January first term. We were not studying well; it happened
to see the dean of studies coming in the class and say:”
Separate you into three groups; Hutus aside, Tutsis aside
and Twas aside.”
00:02:44:02
Nadine
They drew up lists and sometimes said:” Those who are on
this list do not have class today, the can go back home.” We
were many times sent home to bring our parents for
clearance and it was always the same thing and so forth.
00:03:04:10
Nadine
On day, just before the death of Habyarimana, there
happened many aggressive incidences including mainly
strikes and all movements to school were hardly possible.
Our mother refused us to go to school because we were too
young to manage the situation.
00:03:37:11
Nadine
She told herself:” let me bring my children in the
countryside to their grandparents until the situation gets
calmer.”
00:03:52:21
Nadine
We were sent to the village and about the 2nd April, I got
sick and my aunt called Emerthe took me back home on the
6th April. When Habyarimana died, I was with my parents.
00: 04:18:03
Nadine
My elder sister was with us too. In the morning after the
death of Habyarimana, the situation turned out nasty
throughout Kagarama. The first people who were killed
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were our neighbors. They appeared on the drawn lists.
00:04:57:04
Nadine
None of their family survived apart from their youngert
child who happened to escape. The rest of the family were
killed and the bleeding flowed out in the street so that
everybody could see it.
00:05:03:08
Nadine
A person came to our home and said:” Be ready, you are the
next to be killed.” There was another aunt of ours who had
come to our home in Kagarama. Kagarama was not very
close to down town, there were not too much strikes
around.
00:05:37:00
Nadine
We went to hide in a sorghum plantation. The man who
had warned us that we were the next to be killed said to our
aunt:” Because you are weak, let me take your children
away.” He took them away to his house and left us in the
sorghum plantation.
00:05:48:06
Nadine
My father was sick. He was suffering from malaria and he
was with us in the hideaway. The killers were hunting
people with dogs, bludgeons, machetes, hoes and many
other such stuffs. There were no soldiers hunting. The
people were very many and Interahamwe likewise.
00:06:14:13
Nadine
That man who hided my aunt children used to warn us
when there were attacks coming to hunt around. He took us
to banana plantations until the attack passes and we
returned to our usual hideaway. We lived like that for a
good while and the man usually brought some food for us
to eat.
00:06:44:08
Nadine
After a long time, we were still in the sorghum plantation
and it was on Wednesday, came a huge attack with many
hunting dogs. The dogs were dispersed all around so that
everyone who saw such dogs was frightened to death.
00:07:05:20
Nadine
My mother and my aunt were so scared and attempted to
run and we run after them while my father stayed seated in
the sorghum plantation. The hunters saw us running and
ran after us. They caught us and took us down to the street.
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00:07:21:06
Nadine
The killers were saying:” We have been looking for you
since a long time.” They took us up to Kicukiro’s Nyanza
where they used to kill people.
00:07:38:14
Nadine
On our road to where we had to be killed, people were
begging for pardon for my father; many of the people of
that area loved him. They prayed:” Let him go, have mercy
on him.”
00:07:52:00
Nadine
They said:” Please let that man alone, he is a kind man. We
will keep an eye on him, he won’t go anywhere, we warrant
you.”
00:08:06:15
Nadine
After a time, still on our way, those people came even to
pay money for our freedom. There was a neighbor of ours
whose children were accompanying us on our way to the
death place.
00:08:30:09
Nadine
The killers said to that man:” We charge you these people.
They are counted. We warn you, none of them should miss
otherwise you will see all your children slaid. We won’t
even have mercy on a single mouse of your family.”
00:08:38:21
Nadine
We went and stayed ro that man’s house. Our grandmother
was with us too. We were also with two other persons who
had come to congratulate our ount for her giving birth. We
were all to that neighbor’s house.
00:08:57:00
Nadine
I, my brother, my father, my mother and ny aunt were the
only ones to appear on the list of people to be killed.
00:09:13:19
Nadine
We spent a week there and afterwards, came a
PG(Presidential Guard) troop sent by a military high officer
of Kicukiro. He was called Deze. He sent that troop to arrest
my father and to kill him.
00:09:34:07
Nadine
We were not allowed to go outside the house enclosure. The
soldiers came and found me playing with other children in
the ground and said:” You child, go and call your father
everybody who is with him inside the house. Tell them that
we want to see them.”
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00:09:56:19
Nadine
I went inside where my father was laid and told him:”
There are people asking for you outside.” He got out with
my mother and the soldiers said:” We want everybody who
appears on the list, we will kill you all today.”
00:10:20:15
Nadine
My mother was not very okay either; she had olso caught
malaria because that area was very woody and full of
forests. Our domestic help was sick too.
00:10:38:06
Nadine
The domestic help was seated aside. I was standing in the
front as it me that they had charged to call others. The
soldiers were discussingwith my father and they were
telling him:” If you give us twenty thousand rwandan
francs we will set you free, we won’t kill you.”
00:10:58:09
Nadine
He replied:” I do not have money on me right now but if
you let me go and look for my check book, I can sign you a
check.”
00:11:14:16
Nadine
They told him:” If you do not have money right now it is
your problem, we will kill you.” They were holding guns.
They were PG’s from Gatenga.
00:11:29:19
Nadine
The discussion was getting long and I went closer to my
mother and asked her:” Do you think they will kill us?” My
mother replied:” No, they will not kill us, you can go.”
00:11:51:01
Nadine
I looked at how we were seated on the floor as if we were
going to be killed and I just slipped away in the house and
the soldiers did not notice my disappearance. They ordered
everybody to go in the garden and lay down.
00:12:10:22
Nadine
I was hidden in the living room near the window and one
of the soldiers said:” Let me check whether there is no other
person hidden around.” The wife of that family told him:”
The left ones are my guests from Cyangugu in my
husband’s family.’
00:12:32:02
Nadine
When he saw me he did not notice that I was among the
hunted family and asked to the woman:” Whose child is
this?” The woman replied:” She is my youngest child.”
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00:12:52:09
Nadine
He did insist and just got out. They were acting so quickly;
they ordered everybody to lay down and they shot them all
in the heads. My brother was shot in the chest and my
mother in the head.
00:13:06:00
Nadine
My father was almost shot in the head but as the killers
were in hurry, they shot him in the neck and the bullet
crossed through the chin. He did not die immediately and
the soldiers were already gone.
00:13:33:02
Nadine
Our domestic help was called Marcelle. She was not on the
list of the people to be killed. There was written ‘young
sister of the wife’; the killers asked:” who is the young sister
of the wife?” She replied:” It is me.”
00:13:55;18
Nadine
She was killed so and my aunt was saved then. The
domestic help was killed with my family. The soldiers were
gone and when the dead were being removed to be buried
they found that my father was still alive. The rest of them
were buried in the enclosure behind the house where we
were hidden.
00:14:24:11
Nadine
That family took care of my father and he was just getting
over, came an old woman who lived around in the quarter
and asked:” Is not there any survivor?” She was
investigating and knew that my father was still alive. She
reported to the killers.
00:14:38:00
In the following week, he was really getting over. His
wounds were healing up and he was starting to stand up.
The killers came back and took him. I had been to see him
in the morning but I was too young to talk to him seriously.
00:15:17:22
Nadine
He could not tell me too much; he just said:” I do not think I
will live but I feel that you may live; so wherever you go, be
a good girl.”
00:15:31:20
Nadine
That is all he told me. I had to go back to see him in the
afternoon but the killers took him away around noon. They
took him home and told some person to dig a grave for him.
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He was standing beside the grave.
00:15:52:04
Nadine
One of the killers took a pistol and held it on the right side
of my father’s head and another took one on his left side
and they shot. My father fell dead in the grave and they put
back the soil. After that, they left.
00:16:14:23
Nadine
After about a week, it was almost in May, Inkotanyi
conquered Kicukiro. We had fled out to Rubirizi and we
arrived also to Ndera. I just wanted to tell you about my
parents’ death.
00:16:40:16
Nadine
I want to thank you for this good action to bury honorably
our people. They had been lamentably thrown away like
dogs; they were shamefully dishonored. I want you who
lost your people to walk tall and be strong; trust God
because he is the only one who knows why this misfortune
happened.
00:17:09:05
Nadine
We believe that our dead were aware of what was to
happen to them; we believe that they had prayed for
themselves and that God has now granted them eternal rest.
I believe that they will always be honored and respected. I
thank the government of Rwanda and I wish you God’s
blessings.
00:17:33:11
Mayor
I would like to express you my condolences. We are all
here to remember for the 12th time the Rwandan genocide
victims. We are getting along time information about where
to find the dead so that we bury them. That is why we
always have to do this action to bury honorably our people
as they had been dishonored.
00:18:00:02
Mayor
You have listened to all the testimonies that were told here
and you know that this action was scheduled to happen
yesterday on the 7th but we, particularly in our district, have
chosen to do it today on the 9th.
00:18:19:19
Mayor
The people to whom we are paying our last respect tonight
were killed here and there and some of them were
atrociously slain outside of our district. We can mention
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those who were killed in different sectors such as Muhima,
Gitega, Nyanirambo, Kigali and so forth.
00:18:47:05
Mayor
There are also families who lived in Nyamirambo but who
had fled to elsewhere like Kicukiro District and to other
areas. Some of the killed people had tried to flee but
unfortunately were killed in their hideaways. There are
some who were killed at Kicukiro; their bodies are here
now.
00:19:08:00
Mayor
The people we are burying today are around two hundred
and sixty five. They are in these coffins you see here. We, as
Nyarugenge District, are trying our best to find all the
bodies that may still be forgotten around in the area so that
we can honorably inter them.
00:19:30:10
Mayor
We are still doing it and we want that those who have not
yet saw their people buried be patient. We are doing our
best to stand that matter. We are working in partnership
with the City of Kigali to make sure that all the dead are
intred.
00:19:56:05
Mayor
The authorities of Nyarugenge District and Kigali City are
committed in taking care of genocide survivors the best
they can. We are calling upon all the people who live, who
lived and who visit our district to help.
00:20:15:23
Mayor
We are trying to know the truth about what exactly
happened during the genocide so that we set up measures
to make it never happen again.
00:20:29:17
Mayor
We, as current leaders, cannot afford missing at our
responsibility to fight against all divisionism and to find out
the truth of our history. We did this in the main aim to root
out all misfortune like what we can see here right now.
00:20:46:23
Mayor
We are committed in giving respect back to the dead
wherever they can be found. We have to bury them as it has
to be. That is what we owe the Rwandan society and we
have to pay.
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00:20:56:14
Mayor
That is why the District’s authorities in collaboration with
the City and the whole country in general are investing too
much in the well functioning of Gacaca courts. We will
make sure that what we get from those courts is the truth.
00:21:15:22
Mayor
There is no other possible way to sort out this matter. There
is no other way to heal the sorrows of the Rwandan society
apart from searching for the truth and saying the truth so
that the people who were involved in this wrongdoing be
accordingly punished.
00:21:16
Mayor
We are also committed in taking care of the survivors. We,
as District authorities, are ready to look for each and
everyone who may know something about the truth.
00:21:56:10
Mayor
We will search among people who were exiled because, as
you know, there are many who fled away because of their
misconducts. They were from all the regions of the country.
There are even some who are still wandering in our
neighboring countries.
00:22:16:12
Mayor
We will do our best to collaborate with the concerned
authorities so that those people be caught and brought back
home to tell what they did.
00;22;24;20
Mayor
I want to tell you that it is very worthless to do the bad. You
all know that the government which planned and put in
action this genocide did not earn anything.
00:22:37:19
Mayor
They killed people for nothing and they did not earn
anything from that. I am sure that most of them are now to
hell and are burning in the eternal fire.
00:22:53:15
Mayor
That is why we have to avoid all wrongdoing from
anywhere. I would so like to wish the concerned families to
be strong and to overcome their grief.
00:23:15:04
Mayor
I wish the same strength to the whole Rwandans. We have
to gather our forces to make sure that such calamity is
completely defeated from the Rwandan society.
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00:23:34:07
Mayor
To get over this calamity is nothing but fighting its main
cause. The cause was everything concerning segregation
and divisionism standing on the genocide ideology as the
main core. We do not have to ignore everything else that
may lead Rwandans back to the shades of bad.
00:23:51:22
Mayor
I would like to end thanking all the people who helped the
District doing this fact and the families of victims. I deeply
thank those who made us have the opportunity to be here
right now.
00:24:06:24
Mayor
I mean those who put their efforts to stop genocide. You all
know that if they had not intervened, there would only be
vultures and condors triumphantly fluttering over here.
00:24:17:24
Mayor
Though we are not very many, we would not be here at all.
I thank them a lot; they did great things and you know how
dangerous was the battle.
00:24:29:01
Mayor
Some of them happened even to sacrifice their own lives
for us to live. I am still thanking them. I thank you too to
have come to join us tonight and I especially also thank our
government.
00:24:44:09
Mayor
I hereby mean the governmental level that I want to call
‘central’ which helps us to make such actions happen. I
thank you all indeed to have come to be with during this
mourning night. Thank you.
00:24:57:21
Testimony When we were walking up the hill, they let us reach the top
and opened fire on us. There was a man holding my arm, he
was immediately shot and I fell down.
00:25:11:13
Testimony As the fire was not ceasing, we laid down in a gutter round
about. We were at the left and some others ran at the right
into a house enclosure which was there.
00:25:21:11
Testimony The fire ceased for a while and we got up and ran away to
that road which passes beside the billboard leading to
Center.
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00:25:33:01
Testimony
We met policemen and told us:” The best place where you
can go is to the nunnery.” We were just running not
knowing exactly where to go. However, it was as if we
wanted to go to ETO.
00:25:43:17
Testimony We sloped down the hill and arrived to the nunnery around
some minutes past 6 pm. There were too many fugitives
and even the chapel was full.
00:26:03:06
However, when we arrived there, there were some people
Testimony saying they had fled Inkotanyi who were running after
them.
00:26:21:18
Testimony
00:26:38:02
Testimony We arrived there on the 7th and we stayed. On the 8th, all
those pseudo-fugitives who were in the chapel had gone.
They had maybe noted where people were hidden.
00;26;59;04
Testimony After that, on the 10th in the morning around 8, some people
had entered in the parish and they were praying.
00:27:09:22
Testimony My elder brothers were also in the chapel praying; my sister
too. I went out searching for them and I found them
praying. I was a bit grown up, I was 8.
00:27:21:23
Testimony I knew some prayers and I joined the others to pray. I knelt
down and started reciting my prayers.
00:27:35:02
Testimony Around 10 am, we heard people knocking on the the
chapel’s windows. One of the persons who were inside with
us got up and they asked:” Why are you not opening the
door?”
00:27:54:21
Testimony We opened and they told us:” Everyone who is here inside
has to go out.” Some started getting out but the people who
were in the chapel got out first, they were very scared. They
thought they were going to be killed.
00:28:07:24
Testimony I did not think I was going to be killed. I saw frightened
They had not come as fugitives; they had brought with
them machetes and bludgeons but they had hidden them.
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people hesitating to get out and I also stayed knelt.
00:28:13:06
Testimony Those who were already out were brought near the gate
and we stayed in the chapel. They came and told us:” Why
aren’t you getting out too?” They opened the doors and we
got out.
00:28:33:09
Testimony
00:28:48:00
Testimony I was so getting scared too. I walked dragging my feet to
stay behind the others. When we were approaching the gate
a soldier kicked me in my back and I fell down and he
shouted at me:” Get up and join the others quickly!”
00:29:02:00
Testimony
We were seated in a manner that we could not runaway.
There was a soldier watching everyone who could attempt
to run; he had a gun.
00:29:18:10
Testimony
We were seated down on the floor. Five minutes after, they
had checked in the house to make sure that none was left,
they said:” Get down there.” There were Interahanwe
hidden around; they rushed onto us with lots of clubs and
other weapons.
00:29:35:13
Testimony They seated us beside the road for a while. They
surrounded us. It was my first time to see such armed
people. I had seen some like them going to meetings but
they were not holding arms or they had maybe hidden
them somewhere.
00:29:56:13
Testimony I saw someone beside me praying and I started praying too.
I was staring all around us; I was very scared. They ordered
us to sit grouped by family in front of those Interahamwe.
00:30:16:04
Testimony
While getting out the chapel, I noticed that they were
soldiers holding arms. It was my second time to see soldiers
holding arms, the firsts I had see were the ones who told us
to go to the nunnery.
They started by a man called Magaju. They said:” Magaju
and his family go to sit there.” They said then:” No, do not
sit there but there aside; we will be more at ease to kill you
together.”
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00:30:35:02
Testimony I was not understanding what was really going on. There
was a man who had lagged behind and Interahamwe
brutally rushed at him and hit him with bludgeons. They
killed him immediately.
00:30:49:01
Testimony The people who were crowded there knew that it was the
end. They started praying; even those who had never
prayed before knew how to do it. After that came a soldier,
he shot in the sky and said:” All the children come aside.”
00:31:08:11
I went among the other children who were there. Some
Testimony older people also came with us and they were also killed at
the end.
00:31:22:03
We walked up the hill. There were two girls with us who
Testimony were walking in front of me. A soldier told them:” you can
go; we are going to kill these all the others.”
00:31:36:05
Testimony
I secretly listened to that and I ran away with them. We ran
three and the others were brought back to the nunnery.
00:31:46:12
Testimony
We ran as if we were going back to where we came from.
We met soldiers shooting with a huge gun and we
withdrew and passed in another way.
00:32:00:10
Testimony We had not covered even thirty meters and we met
Interahamwe. They stopped us and wanted to kill us. The
girls were crying. God did a great miracle and they let us
go.
00:32:14:19
Testimony When I arrived at the main road, I crossed a car of
MINUAR. We attempted to stop it to take us but it did not
stop.
00:32:24:08
Testimony We wondered what to do. Suddenly, came an old woman
called Marcianne; she took us to Mbonabucya’ home.
00:32:35:09
Testimony Arrived there, we found the son called Mbonabucya Desire
and his younger brother Gilbert and other boys. They were
about five.
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00:32:50:00
Testimony
They knew me and when they saw us, they asked: “what is
going on?” We explained what had happened and they took
me inside the house. I found other two boys. I did not see
the girls who were with me any longer.
00:33:01:09
They kept me in their house and after a long time, a man
Testimony passed around running. He was fleeing killers and they
killed him nearby Desire’s home. I saw him when he was
being killed but I could not know who killed him because it
was late in the evening at the glow of twilight.
00:33:22:00
Testimony I stayed at Mbonabucya’s house. They used to go out and
Desire put his jersey and go to play. He was a footballer.
00:33:38:10
Testimony I remember that when the people were killed at ETO, he
had been to play wearing his jersey.
00:33:50:04
Testimony As days were going on, I saw him with many other persons
but not always wearing his jersey.
00:33:57:23
Testimony
00:34:09:15
Testimony One day, Mbonabucya told me:” Go now to Marcel’s
home.” That man lived nearby there. His house was after
one house from Mbonabucya’s.
00:34:33:21
Testimony
00:34:47:07
Testimony He then decided to keep me and said:” Come and stay, we
will see if we have chance to survive.” Inkotanyi troops had
already arrived at Sheri. If it was planned so, I do not know.
Interahamwe went on fighting Inkotanyi and Interahamwe
were defeated. They desperately tried to keep fighting in
vain.
00:35:04:07
Testimony Thanks to God, came the morning. Marcel went to see
Mbonabucya and prayed him:” Let us get this child back to
I never saw them killing anyone. As time was going on,
things turned out nasty for me though I was at our friends’
home.
I went there and when I arrived, Marcel told me:” why are
they sending you to me? I am betrayed too and I may be
killed soon. I don’t think this tonight will pass.
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his home so that he does not die here. If he has to die, it is
just too bad for him; but if he is chancy to live, he will live.”
00:35:31:22
Testimony
I afterwards knew that Marcel died but I never knew how
he really died.
00:35:34:11
Testimony I arrived to the nunnery and I stayed there for long time.
Interahamwe used to pass by there and about the 17th
00:35:57:14
Testimony Three men came. There were Kabalisa and his son and
Appolinaire. They were hidden round about there.
Interahamwe came and took them; they then killed them.
00:36:09:08
Testimony
00:36:30:06
Testimony We stayed there and when it was about the 6th May, came
people called Abamari. They were behind the fence of the
nunnery and threw teargas grenades into us.
00:36:43:08
Testimony Many of the people who were there did not know about
teargases. There was a man who told us to put water in the
eyes to alleviate the pain.
00:37:00:04
Testimony By chance, we found water; it had rained a few days before.
We poured water in the eyes and the pain was somehow
assuaged. We went in a room and we locked the door
behind us. Younger children were vomiting.
00:37:12:16
Testimony
We calmed down and it was yet getting late in the evening.
Soldiers came and entered in the house. There was a nun
who strangely ressembled to a young girl who was with us.
The soldiers said:” This is not a nun; she must be the mother
of this child.”
00:37:38:06
Testimony
The soldiers took three nuns, two women and a young
child. They took them out.
00:37:40:00
Testimony Arrived outside, they asked them to give the money. They
asked one hundred eighty thousand Rwandan francs. They
They threw them in a deep ditch which was nearby there.
The others who have been killed were burnt alive by
mattresses and gasoil.
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got paid and they left.
00:38:00:16
Testimony We stayed there and on the 8th May, there were brothers
who directed a school called ‘Ecole Chretien’. They went to
see the chief of police to talk to him.
00:38:26:03
Testimony
00:38:39:19
Testimony Two soldiers came to see that child. They were not like
others; they were not wicked. They were somehow kind.
00:38:52:00
Testimony They removed the grenade fragments that were in his hand
and in the leg. They told him:” we can see that there are
little children among and we do not have a car to move you
out of here. Be patient, we will be back tomorrow.”
00:39:12:16
Testimony The two soldiers were called Samuel and Rukundo.
Rukundo is now still alive. He told us:” Do not worry; we
will be back to save in any case.”
00:39:31:15
Testimony On the 15th, it was the same date when our parents and
siblings were killed.
00:39:44:16
Testimony The soldiers came back to rescue us. In put us in a car and
moved.
00:39:53:00
Testimony
00:40:11:12
Testimony We continued our road but because we were in a car, we
were at big risk to be shot by Inkotanyi. They used to shoot
every moving thing even when it was a small smog
showing presence of someone.
00:40:21:07
Testimony Inkotanyi did so because they did not know who were
moving around. We continued and we crossed Sahara till to
They prayed him to come to see us. On the same 8th, they
came to see us. There was a child who had been wounded
by shrapnel on his hand and on the leg.
We arrived where the other people who were with us had
been killed. When the Interahamwe saw us, they thought
that we were brought to be killed. Thanks to God, the two
soldiers Samuel and Rukundo came to forbid the
Interahamwe to kill us.
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the health center. That is where we took the car.
00:40:42:12
Testimony We continued until we arrived at ETO. Younger children
were afraid to see the bodies laying down. I did not see
many. There were also people who were wearing military
uniforms and who had their legs cut off.
00:41:07:10
Testimony They told us:” these are cockroaches we captured and we
killed them.” We diverted to Gatenga because we could not
continue to Sonatube. Inkotanyi were already there.
TapeV
00:00:04:21
01
They kept on begging in vain.
00:00:06:02
The soldiers, Rukundo and Samuel did not give up. They
continued begging and at the end of the day, we were freed
to move.
00:00:16:12
We were crossing too many dead on the streets. We were
very astonished when we arrived at a barrier which was
controlled by only old persons. Old men and old women.
00:00:31:08
They were not stately to scare anybody. Though we were
children, we would have fought them if we dared.
00:00:44:21
They also started saying:” you have to be killed.” But
because they were not imposing at all, they let us go, maybe
because we were with soldiers.
00:00:54:02
We continued our travel and we arrived at Kabgayi. We
were with nuns and brothers; they left us.
00:01:06:17
Children were put aside and nuns aside.
00:01:14:12
We were taken to a nunnery of Abenebikira, if I remember
well.
00:01:22:08
Things were not very easy at all. We were refered to as
‘Children from Kigali’, I did not know what idea was
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behind that.
00:01:32:15
Some days after, came soldiers and Interahamwe asking to
see ‘Children from Kigali’.
00:01:41:05
There were older people who were charged to look after us.
They used to tell us:” go and join with other children.”
00:01:50:12
We went and mix with other children so that it was not
possible to know who is from Kigali or elsewhere.
00:01:58:16
We spent many days there and one day, it the day we were
maybe to be killed.
00:02:09:15
Came soldiers and they surrounded the whole Kabgayi so
as not to allow any cockroaches to escape. We were also
under surveillance.
00:02:18:05
It was around 10 am when we heard gunshots ringing. They
were old people who said:” those are maybe Inkotanyi
shooting.”
00:02:32:13
We did not have to wait too long; we saw Inkotanyi
coming.
00:02:38:23
When they arrived we stopped thinking that we were
protected by Interahamwe.
00:02:46:12
We started wondering here and there as we were no longer
hunted.
00:02:56:02
We arrived at Nyamata in August. The nuns came looking
for us and they took us with them. We stayed with them.
00:03:04:20
That is the end of my testimony.
00:03:12:12
Deputy
Kalisa
Our brothers from Kicukiro and many others who have
found bodies of the dead wanted to join those from
Nyakabanda. We have yet buried many bodies. We found
155 bodies. In Nyamirambo sector, we buried many bodies
too and we are not yet through. 53 bodies were from
Nyamirambo. Eight from Muhima and five from Gitega. In
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total, they are 265.
00:04:03:18
Deputy
Kalisa
The people to whom we are paying our last respect are
people we know. We know most of them. If we did not
know them, we would not be of this generation.
00:04:22:07
Deputy
Kalisa
The people to whom we are paying our last respect are
people who were kind to everybody; we were friends to
some of us; they were parents to some of us; children to
some of us and others were brothers or comrades.
00:04:50:02
Deputy
Kalisa
These people did not die sick. They died of genocide. I say
‘genocide’ and I mean it because there are some people who
sometimes merge the war that happened in our country
with genocide. Genocide is different from war.
00:05:24:03
Deputy
Kalisa
Genocide killed children, it disemboweled pregnant
women, it killed old men, it killed young boys, it killed
everybody. It was planned by the government of then. The
aim was to exterminate all Tutsis throughout the whole
country.
00:05:43:02
Deputy
Kalisa
It was a ready-built plan. We have to talk about it and
explain it to everybody. We have to surpass the sounds
which shout to divert the truth. We have to surpass sounds
which want to deny genocide.
00:06:05:15
Deputy
Kalisa
The people we are burying today are from twelve families.
They were not dead because of our families’ lack of
vigilance. It is not because of our government’s luck of
vigilance. We are still having a problem of people who saw
other people being killed and thrown in nature but who
cannot make an effort to tell even where to find the bodies.
00:06:58:06
Deputy
Kalisa
We would so like to apologize to these people we are to
bury because they have waited for twelve years in the pits
to be honorably buried.
00:07:17:10
Deputy
Kalisa
They also know that we tried our best to find them. I hope
they will grant us their pardon; we tried and we thought
about them. It is a very big sorrow for the survived families
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to wait for such amount of time before you inter your
people.
00:07:38:14
Deputy
Kalisa
We have to know that there are still other families who do
not know yet where their killed people have been thrown.
00:07:49:22
Deputy
Kalisa
I want to take advantage of this occasion to console the
families who are still missing their people’s bodies. May
they be patient and hopeful; we did not also know that the
ones we have today were to be found.
00:08:03:15
Deputy
Kalisa
I want so you be hopeful that your people’s bodies will be
found and buried in honor. We, as the authorities of the
District, in collaboration with other authorities, are
deploying more efforts to find our brothers victim of
genocide so that we bury them in honor.
00:08:27:12
Deputy
Kalisa
It is very obvious that such calamity, which took thousands
of people, have grieved our hearts and that we have to
overcome that grief. Our people were atrociously killed;
they were thrown in the pits. We have been getting them
from different regions. Some were even thrown alive in the
pits and huge stones over them so that it not an easy task to
get them out.
00:09:17:21
Deputy
Kalisa
Women were rapped before killing them; they were too
maltreated and before being thrown in deep pits
00:09:29:20
Deputy
Kalisa
Such atrocities are still harming our minds. You all know
that we are not well at all, you see many people
traumatized. Especially children, they saw horrible thinks
when they were children; they saw what atrocities were
done to their parents. That can never set us free in our
minds. It has a bad impact on their studies. I would so like
to encourage in helping those children. You know that some
of them do not even have where to stay; they do not have
where to go when on holidays. They are condemned to stay
to school while others are going to their families.
00:10:40:12
Deputy
Kalisa
We still have too problems to deal with. Our government is
doing every best that can be to sort out these problems.
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Though there are still unsolved problem, they are being
handled. But for sure, problems are still there.
00:11:00:06
Deputy
Kalisa
Problems are still there. I talked about children but I did not
talk about old women who lost all their children. I did not
talk about physically disabled people by genocide who are
still struggling trying to get healed.
00:11:24:14
Deputy
Kalisa
These are consequences we have to bear. That is why we are
still alive; we have to handle these problems.
00:11:36:12
Deputy
Kalisa
It is very clear that we have some compulsory
responsibilities. One of them is to always remember our
people we lost.
00:11:53:19
Deputy
Kalisa
Though it is a custom to remember dead people in our
culture and it is even like a must; in the Rwandan tradition,
people used to mourn for the dead. Our ancestors used to
implore the gods for the dead and now, a million of Tutsis
have perished because of genocide in our country and they
are unfortunately remembered by only their families and
the authorities alone.
00:12:40:12
Deputy
Kalisa
It is one of the government’s policies but unfortunately a
big part of Rwandans are still indifferent. In these days, we,
genocide survivors, remember bad moments we lived for
many years. It is true that it is our matter, we have been
hunted during genocide but other are also concerned. They
have to remember what they have done because it is the
only way to get unity and solidarity in our country.
00:13:20:18
Deputy
Kalisa
It is the only way. The experts say that remembering is one
of the ways to heal from grief. That is one of the therapies to
heal traumatized persons and I think that it has already
started to be proved that people are getting healed.
00:13:45:23
Deputy
Kalisa
I would like;
00:13:48:09
Deputy
Kalisa
Instead of going on revenge. They said:’’ We gave time to
go to talk to prisoners and you want to revenge?” He cried
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and said:” it is not me, it is him who did that.” The other
one was also overwhelmed. He kept on explaining and by
chance he got back rouse. When he was asked what was
going on, he said:” I was telling how I killed his children.”
They asked again:” Go ahead, show.” He also asked:” by
the way, where is him?” he had been brought away dead.
00:14:17:12
Deputy
Kalisa
What means that they are not sound either. I would like that
you, authorities who are here, put efforts in encouraging
those people to remember what they did.
00:14:30:08
Deputy
Kalisa
Remembering will also help us to succeed in our policies of
Gaca courts because we want all the people to say the truth
of what they did. This may be very useful for both parts of
Rwandans. Remembering will also help us foght against
any other possible form of genocide in our country.
00:15:00:02
Deputy
Kalisa
Remembering helps people understand what exactly
happened and children learn that history to never fall in the
same mistake.
00:15:11:15
Deputy
Kalisa
Though we have been remembering since twelve years, it is
still a problem in our country. Today in the afternoon, I
have been to other mourning ceremonies at Ruhango. The
priest who read the mass, he is a foreigner, taught us telling
how people attended numerous the mourning ceremonies
that happened yesterday on the 7th. He said that he met
someone who had not gone to the mourning and asked
him:” why aren’t you with others to the mourning
ceremonies?
00:15:58:12
Deputy
Kalisa
The man replied:” I want to pray.” He entered alone into
the church and the priest went after him and said:” you
have missed at attending the mourning to remember your
dead Rwandans; that would be worthier that coming here.
Why don’t you go?”
00:16:19:03
Deputy
Kalisa
The man replied:” excuse me Father, the church was here
before you, foreigner, come. I do not want to leave.”
00:16:32:07
Deputy
Those are Christians we have today. The priest said:” so
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Kalisa
you are hiding in the church for not to go to the mourning.”
It is not strange at all because even during genocide, killers
used to go on killing and after went to pray to the church.
Killers went also to hunt people in the church saying:” God
has delivered Tutsis to be killed.”
00:17:00:16
Deputy
Kalisa
Remembering is a must for us, survivors. We have to do our
best to attend the mourning ceremonies and prove our
commitment through moments like today; where we bury
our dead people in honor and take care of th memorial sites.
00:17:20:15
Deputy
Kalisa
I also think it is not worth to remain grieved and hopeless;
we have to think about the future, we have to think about
our children and show them that they are the wealth of our
country. We have to give them hope to live.
00:17:40:12
Deputy
Kalisa
In remembering, there is a problem we have to fight. The
problem of genocide ideology is ruining our country. It one
of the most dangerous matters we are dealing with. We
have to join our forces to fight it.
00:18:08:23
Deputy
Kalisa
The laws against sush misconducts are already installed.
We know where to find such wrongdoing though people
are staying inert about that matter.
00:18:20:02
Deputy
Kalisa
It is as if we are getting familiar to struggles. One can feel
cold till freezing without executing any resistance.
00:18:35:12
Deputy
Kalisa
We see wrongdoings around us and we do not even report
it to the competent authorities to handle such matters. We
have to help each other and join our forces to help the
children in need. We have to get close to the widows in
need to console them and give them hope and encourage
them to stand the situation.
00:19:04:13
Deputy
Kalisa
I would like to end my speech here before I am too long.
Almost everything has been said. However, I cannot help
thanking the persons who organized these ceremonies to
pay our last respect to our dead people. We are now
accompanying them tonight and giving them respect they
deserve.
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00:19:39:20
Deputy
Kalisa
I am especially glad for the youth who put their efforts for
this moment to happen. The youth have been of great role
in the well progressing of these ceremonies.
00:19:57:12
Deputy
Kalisa
I also thank other people who provided means of all types
to get these ceremonies well done. I hereby mean
organizations, different authorities and some people on
their own who provided economic means to perform this
task. There are also people who put their lives at risk and
helped removing the bodies from the very deep of the
ditches where it was not even easy to breath. They removed
bones and separated them with the mud.
00:20:37:12
Deputy
Kalisa
I would now like to refute the sayings that call our dead
people ‘mortal remains’, it is not so. We do not have to call
them so.
00:20:53:04
Deputy
Kalisa
I want we agree about this issue, these are people that we
bury.
00:21:05:23
Deputy
Kalisa
There are some who say that removing the people from the
ditches is to dig up the putrefied. However, for the families
who have lost their people, it is a very important think to
bury in honor these people.
00:21:24:01
Deputy
Kalisa
So, there are people, not mortal remains.
00:21:28:22
Deputy
Kalisa
I thank people who helped removing the bodies from the
ditches. It was not an easy task at all. I thank the authorities
of Kigali City to have done all the best to give back the
respect to our genocide victims. They helped building
Gisozi memorial center and other helpful actions. It is also
very meaningful that those authorities are with us right
now; it proves that they care about us.
00:22:05:20
Deputy
Kalisa
I also thank RPF( Rwanda Patiotic Front) who have been to
the battle and defeated Habyarimana’s army. They also
stopped genocide and we are now alive and free.
00:22:29:12
Deputy
All we have is due to them; we owe them thanks.
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Kalisa
00:22:36:08
Deputy
Kalisa
I thank the government of unity of Rwanda who help us as
much as possible to realize our plans. It has reserved us a
week to mourn for our people.
00:22:48:13
Deputy
Kalisa
Finally, I want to express you tonight, the whole Rwandans’
thanks. May you keep remembering these innocent people.
Conceive it thinking like:” if it was me who was dead,
because it would have been possible, what would I expect
the survivors to do for me?” then do that for these people.
Thank you.
00:23:19:04
1
I remember you in Rwanda, you who were innocently
killed. I remember you, young children. You died ignoring
why. We can assume that older people had made mistakes
but you, why were you killed?
00:23:33:01
You were aware of nothing. I remember you all. I remember
you as people who are no longer alive. I want you who are
here help me remembering them. I know that we usually
get traumatized when we remember, but now it is their turn
to be traumatized. We are no longer in place, the left turn is
theirs.
00:24:00:12
I remember you all for whom we are mourning tonight. I
want you all who are here, help each other and console each
other to stand this grief. Be strong.
00:24:27:19
2
Help me to remember them. We remember you all who
died because how you were created, you were all killed
because of your ethnic group. You were killed because you
were Tutsis. We remember you and we will always
remember you.
00:24:47:12
We remember you, young babies; we remember you, boys
and girls; we remember you old men and women; we
remember you who were killed because your good
ideologies. Help me remembering them.
00:25:08:13
We remember you, Tutsis who were killed throughout the
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country. We remember you and we will always remember
you. Help me remembering them. Our families were
decimated and only few are still alive.
00:25:24:11
Help me remembering them. In this time it is worth to
remind those who killed our people, what they did is very
nasty and they have to apologize for that.
00:25:45:03
Remembering is very important. This is the twelfth time we
remember; we have to think and see where we are coming
from and where we are going.
00:26:00:12
We have to see what would have been done by the friends
and the parents we lost. We have to accomplish the tasks
they were on carrying out.
00:26:21:12
Help me remembering.
00:26:25:08
We remember you friends and neighbors who were killed
because of how you were created. You were atrociously
killed. Some of you were thrown into the rivers; others were
buried alive and bitten by dogs. Some of you dug their own
graves. You were killed in different manners. Help me
remembering them all. Thank you.
00:27:08:10
3
00:27:45:11
00:28:09:11
We remember my child called Rwagaju Emmanuel; I
remember my father Zirimwabagabo Andreya; I remember
my mother Nyirabasore Sesilia; I remember my brother
Kimana Gaspard; I remember my younger sister
Mukamunana Beatrice; I remember my younger sister
Alice; I remember also all of our neighbors and friends. I
remember all the people we were together.
I remember too many people and remembering is not just
for once. Remembering is for everyday. We every time
remember, it is not just for today.
4
Let us remember. Let us remember our people who left
when we were still needing them. Let us remember our
parents and siblings and friends for whom we are gathered
here tonight.
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00:28:25:05
I remember you Patrice Kaboyi ; I remember how much you
loved your family; I remember how you used to visit the
whole your family when on holidays.
00:28:39:15
I remember you Aloys, you were a friend of my brother
Twahirwa Innocent. We are gathered tonight to remember
my brother; I never knew where his bones were thrown. All
I know is that he was killed at Kabgayi but I never seen
him. I remember you all my siblings.
00:29:05:20
I remember you our parent Kabayiza Charles; I remember
how you loved people, how you loved your brothers, how
you loved children with no exception.
You were not spared though.
00:29:23:12
They killers were wrong; you are now remembered. We
very grieved tonight as we are paying our last respect to
you.
00:29:35:12
We remember you and we will always remember you.
00:29:37:05
We remember you our parents; we are sure you are now
very joyful.
00:29:45:12
We are still alive. We survived and we will live.
00:29:55:10
We remember all people who burnt alive in the prairies of
Ntarama. I remember Ntarama church; I remember people
who were killed there. I also remember those who are not
yet buried in honor from Ntarama. I wish God allow us to
oneday have time like this to mourn for you.
00:30:12:19
I remember all the people who were atrociously killed. I
would have been among them but God spared me and kept
me alive.
00:30:24:03
I thank God who allows me to stand here in front of you
tonight. We remember you all and we will never forget you.
Help us remembering and being strong. Let us not do as
some people wish; they wish we do not remember but we
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will do and we will never give up.
00:30:49:12
5
I remember all my siblings. I remember my father-in- law
and mother-in-law; we never found their bones from
Bugesera.
00:30:59:14
I remember all my sisters-in-law; I remember my brotherin-law Mariko and his wife Devotte who are here. I
remember them all.
00:31:10:00
I remember all the people we were hiding together; they
were all killed and only I survived. I remember little babies
we had; they all died.
00:31:19:23
I remember our mothers who were killed because of just
they were created, that is true…
00:31:30:18
I remember all my siblings who are here. Help me
remembering them.
00:31:41:06
Joseph
I remember my elder brother Kabera Jean de Dieu; I
remember the words he used to tell me:” study hard so that
you become a man.” I am very sad that he will never know
about my studying. He will never know that I obeyed his
advices.
00:32:08:15
Joseph
I remember when Jean de Dieu and Jose where shot. I
remember when Jose was shot in the stomach while she was
pregnant. I remember all the days they spent dead in the
house because we were not able to bury them. We could not
even pull them to the road to be packed away as it was
usually done.
00:32:52:03
Joseph
I remember all that. I remember my elder brother
Rubangura Gilbert; Marcerine and Bertin. I remember my
grandmother; I remember Rubaraki during that moment, I
remember them.
00:33:11:20
Joseph
I remember before war when burglars broke into our house.
They wanted to kill us and they were armed with machetes
and other such kinds of weapons. They cut my mother on
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her neck.
00:33:34:05
Joseph
Our mother told us something very important; we were all
at risk to be killed. We remember all that as genocide
survivors and we want you help consoling us. It is very
regrettable to meet people who killed our families and see
that they are much angrier for us than we are for them.
00:34:06:16
Joseph
Everywhere we pass, we are wished nothing good but to
die.
00:34:10:05
Joseph
I remember a man called Jean Louis and my sister’s child. I
remember when they took him from during war; it was me
who was looking after him though I was also still young.
They took him from me when I was weak and hungry; he
was also hungry and they atrociously killed him. I
remember that.
00:34:47:14
1
I remember you my own mother; I remember you Donatile;
I remember you Sibomana; I remember you Police. I
remember you all and I loved you too much. I remember
you; you left us alone. NOT UNDERSTANDABLE; HE
WAS WEEPING. I remember all my siblings.
00:35:37:02
2
They were my own siblings. I do not know if some of you
have siblings and feel as if they are one. I will always pray
for you until I live this world.
00:36:00:12
00:36:48:12
00:36:58:03
Those who did that to you will be ashamed. Do not feel
lonely; we will join you there. We have to restrain our
emotions for all the calamities that happened to us; it will
also happen to them and more harmful for sure.
3
I remember Pastors being insulted.
I remember some people who fled with us. I remember
when I left the hideaway in the night ignoring where to go.
I remember bleed flows in the hospital nearby there when
physicians were taking people downstairs so Interahamwe
see them and kill them. I remember when Interahamwe
brought a full gasoil barrel and poured in the house. They
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then put fire to burn Tutsis who were inside.
00:37:34:02
Thanks to God, the bleed flows were thicker than gasoil and
the house did not burn out.
00:37:42:23
I remember when I was hidden in a cupboard in that
hospital and I was shot from outside, when touched my leg
I felt that I was touched by a bullet.
00:37:50:18
I remember when I was laid on the sheets in the cupboard; I
was tired to have been throwing stones. I got out of the
cupboard in the night and there was fire on outside nearby
the door. They had put fire to forbid us getting out. I tried
to get out as in any case we were to be killed. There was a
man in the hospital called Segikware; he came with me we
ran out of the house and we found there was nobody
outside. It was late in the night.
00:38:23:08
I remember when I sloped down the hill to the valley and
arrived at Bisesero. I had never known Bisesero. I was very
hungry because of having been throwing stones.
00:38:37:17
I found there some family relatives and they gave me some
sweet potatoes to eat. I remember when I ran around
Bisesero; I spent all the day running until night without rest
and in the night, I went on trying to find what to eat. I could
not know where to find found but I kept on desperately
wandering around. Interahamwe learnt that we had a trick
to hide during the day and they changed techniques. I
remember when my younger brother was shot. On the same
day my sister died of grenade which burst on he.
00:39:23:13
I remember when I was carrying my sister taking her to the
hideaway; I was took a habit to hide her in the papyruses.
Interahamwe came early in the morning and ran after us
from Gitwe primary school.
00:39:43:12
Interahamwe ran after us. My family relatives were running
faster and I glanced backwards I saw that Interahamwe
were close to me.
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00:39:58:12
I remember when my sister said to me:’’ put me down and
run away, I am finished.” I remember when he ran through
the banana plantation and Interahamwe ran after her. They
caught her and cut her with machetes. When I was back in
the evening, she was dead.
00:40:12:04
I remember when we ran crowded with cows. Interahamwe
were running after us and we were falling into quarries and
people were dying by themselves before killers kill them.
00:40:29:07
I remember a woman; an Interahamwe was running after us
and he took a sharp sword and cut her suddenly. She died
immediately.
00:40:40:18
Those people who do not wish we remember are those who
wish there happen such calamities again to us.
Tape VI.
00:00:03:12
1
Thank you. It is just for one minute. There were nine
children. You see that ‘Urutare rwa Ndaba’; you see how
water falls on it. They came and selected ten among us.
They seated us and started recounting a story:” once upon a
time a stupid man charted up his own mother…”
They continued:” so you have come hiding from Bugesera
until here; you thought we could not find you? It is not so
difficult to recognize you.” They ordered us to get our
clothes off and started counting our ribs and testing our
noses. They also checked the calves. After that they ordered
us to tell what are our ethnic groups.
None said he was a Hutu or a Tutsi. None betrayed another.
I remember those children. None betrayed another. They
thrown one by one in the pit but none asked one was
spared or not. There was a policewoman who looked and
told me to carry her mattress on my head till to Congo. I
was five and she said:” I see that you are strong, you must
be a child of a Tutsi and a Hutu.”
00:01:04:02
It was not true. I was not strong at all as she said. However,
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I would have done it just because I did not have a choice.
00:01:12:20
All the children were thrown in the pit and none
complained for another saying:” that one is a Tutsi too.” I
would like we take a minute to remember those children.
Thank you.
00:01:30:24
Thank you, you can sit.
00:01:38:07
2
I remember when we were imprisoned in the stadium. I
remember that I was imprisoned in the stadium in 1990. I
remember that my father used to cook for banana mixed
with minced meat when I was back from school. I
remember my elder brother; I remember my grandmother
who died before I knew even her name.
00:02:00:19
I used to think that she was my mother because it is who
raise me up. When I remember all that, I feel as a pain
inside myself. I sometimes remember the whole travel I
covered fleeing. These men you see here in front were with
me all along the struggles in the forests, eating rubbish,
rotten corn and spoilt beans. However, we are now safe at
Kigali wearing nice clothes.
00:02:31:00
I remember my brother who loved me a lot. He used to
bring me milk after having milked the cows. I did not see
even one cow remaining when I was back. I remember my
aunt; I remember Kayisire who used to bring me sweets;
she also used to bring me notebooks. When I remember all
that, I feel lots of power inside me. I like telling the youth to
feel strong. Do not think that you are weak while you have
both arms and legs. You have to be useful to your country.
Do not think that the dead will come back; no, they won’t.
You have to stand and walk tall. I was imprisoned in the
stadium, however, I did not accept to die of hunger inside
it. I got out through under the door with my collegues.
00:03:37:20
I prefered to be killed by bullets or machetes instead of
hunger. God has been with me all along my life route. I
remember when I was still to school, our teacher used to
give us the boot and said:” that is the ethnic group.” They
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put us at the flag and show us saying:’’ those are the ones
from that ethnic group.” When I remember all that, I feel so
strong such that I can travel miles and miles with my own
feet.
00:04:13:15
3
Our mother, her husband and four children were killed
without reason.
00:04:29:10
4
I remember when I and my children were taken to the pit;
the killers thrown my children inside and I went back
home. I remember when killers came to our home and shot
me in the shoulder. I remember when lastly I was looking
for my husband in the mortal remains; I remember my
siblings who were all slain and I am the only survivor. I am
still alone as a branchless tree.
00:05:02:03
I remember my own father. I remember how you loved
Inkotanyi; unfortunately you died without having seen
them. I remember how you used to tell me to love studying
and now you cannot see me. I remember you.
00:05:26:02
I remember you my mother; I remember how atrociously
you were killed in the church. You were killed by the Pastor
of your own church. I remember you, Clarisse, my sister. I
remember how you were slain in the street. I remember
wise men who died in Rukumberi. I remember all the
innocent people who died in this country. I remember
Gasiga Athanase with whom I lived at Butare; he was a
teacher at the university. I remember his family.
00:05:58:10
I remember that we were together when you were killed
and I was the only one to survive. I went back home and I
found that everybody was killed. I have now stayed alone. I
remember that till now I have not found my father’s body. I
do not know where his remains are. I heard saying that he
may have been thrown in the river. I remember him.
00:06:22:21
I just want they know that we remember them and that we
will not be idle. I will always remember them.
00:06:31:21
5
I remember that we talked for the last time on the phone;
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you told me:” do not come back to Kigali.” I remember you
my mother, I had not seen you since a long time. I
remember fourteen Tutsis who were killed by grenades
inside the house.
00:06:54:05
I remember you, my sister; you were killed without reason.
I remember my uncle Kabayiza Aloys; I remember
Athanasie and Kabazayire, we have been lucky to find her
body. However, we have not yet found the others’ bodies.
00:07:22:16
I remember all the Tutsis who were killed and thrown on
the roads. I remember and I wish we never forget. I do not
want people continue saying that our dead were bitten dog;
they were given to dogs. I want you never forget that.
00:07:46:08
6
I remember my husband Jean Pierre Rwabuhungu. I
remember the word you told me the day before you died. I
remember when you told me:” if you survive, take care of
my children.” I remember you when I see how they are
grown up accordingly to how you left them and I remember
you.
00:08:16:19
I remember when my father was killed. I was standing
beside you and the killers wanted to kill me too but thanks
to God, I was saved. I remember you.
00:08:27:22
I remember my whole family who lived at Kinyinya. I
remember them.
00:08:33:13
I remember all my friends with whom we used to chart and
enjoy life. I remember all.
00:08:42:04
7
I remember my family, Irem my father Mugiraneza Philipe;
I remember my mother Mukamabuza Judith; I remember
my brother Uwimana Aimble. I remember how he fled our
home because of just his face. I remember when he was at
Nairobi, we wrote a letter to him telling that our mother
was sick. He did his best and came back home to take care
of us. I remember that when he was just leaving after
having given us some money; Kigali was bombed. I have
never seen him again and his bones were never found. I just
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heard some people saying that they saw him at Kicukiro. I
feel very upset when I remember him.
00:09:48:22
I remember when we were fleeing with our mother. I
remember when we were caught and told that your father,
our grandfather had been killed and that it was just you
who was missing. I remember when you told me to go
away and you decided to suicide yourself. I remember
when I learnt about your suicide, I could no longer walk
away and I came back to see you; you were hung up on a
string. I could not move.
00:10:25:20
I remember when I called on bums to bury you. I remember
the word you told me:” Be a man.” I remember when I was
at your burial; I prayed my last respect to you as a mother
who gave birth to me.
00:10:42:13
I could not talk then but now I talk and I study. I kept the
advice you gave me. I am fighting to be a man. I need to be
a man who will be useful for my country. I remember my
uncle Celestin Mugarantagara; he has been run after and he
had his arm cut off; he was carrying it. I remember Kigenza
Simeon, the cousin of my mother; he was stoned to death. I
remember when the killers threw your son Jackson onto
you saying:” go to your father.’’
00:11:23:10
I remember them; my first duty is to remember them. It is
my task to remember them; I am on battle to remember
them. God also remembers them too, he will always
remember them. We are here to remember them. We will
never forget them.
00:11:42:07
00:12:06:11
07
I remember when he asked for food and when he was ready
to eat, they poured it in his head. I remember Ruhumura,
our parent who loved us a lot. He was the director of my
school. I remember when they were going to kill him; he
told us:’’ if some of you survive, make sure you are heroes.”
I know that no hero dies. He just sleeps. He is listening to
me. I want to tell him that I will not forget his advice. I will
be a hero till my death. I remember you. I remember all the
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Tutsis who lived at JOC; I promised to always remember
them. If I do not remember them, I will be like those who
killed them.
00:13:15:08
08
Help me remembering them. I remember my father
Sekidende Petero Claver. I remember my step-mother
Mukarugwiza Mariya. I remember my elder brother
Nyiringoga, my sister Nyinanumwe, Iryamukuru; I
remember my uncle Nyagasaza. I remember neighbors,
friends and siblings. I remember our teachers Karangire
Tharcisse, Karake and Mafaranga Andre among others.
00:14:15:16
I remember my uncle Nsabimana Fidel. I remember
children of my age including Urujeni. Kirimenti, Mugenzi
Silas. I remember you all; you were killed just because of
how you were created. I remember Mukamugema my
teacher; I remember when you were cut with a machete
with your child on your back at Kigarama in Kibungo. I
remember you all; you were very wise and kind.
00:14:55:03
All of those people who did that calamity to us, were
people we had never harmed. When their children suffered
from malnutrition and we milked our cows for them. They
missed what to feed their children and we helped them.
However, we have a saying that states:” those to whom
they gave milk are the ones who refuse him their attention.
Help me remembering, we do not have to forget. Thank
you.
00:15:24:14
09
I remember my father Nepo Ritaganda, I never knew him. I
have not even known where he died until now. I remember
my grandfather Kabayi; I remember his whole family; I
remember Gasito’s family. God be with you and may your
souls rest in peace.
00:15:55:08
10
I remember my parents; I remember our mother who loved
us a lot. I remember my father though I never knew where
he died. May you, my father, know that we have been very
sorrowful for you. I remember all my family relatives. I
remember my uncles; I remember my uncle Mambara
Alfred who loved us very much; I will never forget that.
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00:16:16:09
I remember Mpambara Jean Claude; we loved you too
much. I remember my elder sister Kansoro Denise. I
remember Edishe. I remember my aunty who was thrown
in the toilet, she has been screaming of pain for four days. I
remember Beatha who was killed and passed days dying on
a hill. I remember Berne. I remember all the Rwandans who
were killed because of their ethnic group or their thoughts. I
promise you to never betray my dignity in any case and
anyhow.
00:17:05:02
I want to tell to all the genocide survivors to never betray
their dignity. There are some survivors who think that
everything is over but they are wrong, life is still going on. I
just want you be heroes. Be people of love. Take care of any
other survivors and never harm them; feel as if they are
your brothers.
00:17:26:05
I remember when my father told me to love my siblings. He
told me to love any relative of mine from everywhere.
Father, I will never forget that, I will never betray you. I
never forget how you were so social to everybody. I will
never forget all the people who did good things for me.
00:17:56:22
11
I remember our siblings. I remember our husbands and
wives. I remember when they were killed nearby Remera
cemetery. I remember Donatille screaming asking for water;
she was cut to death but was not already dead. I remember
you.
00:18:11:20
I remember Protais; irem Karamaga and I remember
Rugarama with all their large families. I cannot count them
all and come to end. I remember how atrociously they were
killed. I remember how they were being hunted by people
to whom they had given cows; th people with whom they
used to share everything.
00:18:35:02
I remember Francoise who died pregnant of eight months. I
remember when she was killed, I was with her and I came
to run and escaped the killers. I remember when she was
killed in the street and her child was still alive. At that
moment came a woman called Vilginie mukasekuru and
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said:’’ cockroaches never die. If they do not kill her with the
child in her womb, he may come back and revenge.”
00:18:59:21
I remember all that. I cannot recount what happened at
Rugarama and come to end. There happened many things.
What I just want the genocide survivors do, is to be heroes.
00:19:11:14
I remember that we were told not to fear so that we do not
be killed. I want you always say the truth; God is still
looking at you. That is what I can remember. I remember
when I was hurt by a man and you refused to talk about it
so that he does not be killed. I remember that.
00:19:24:22
I remember Erneste Niyonsenga; I remember when he was
killed in the forest. His wife Mukasekuru came to announce
us his husband’s death. She came and told us that the killers
of Ernest said that they killed him because he had an arc
and a machete hurting Interahamwe to kill. All that was not
true.
00:19:49:21
What I just want to tell to the survivors is to be heroes. I
remember these last days, we hve been to Gasharu
removing bodies from the ditches. We had had to endure
that. We have just removed the last bodies today. We
should not forget that.
00:20:02:00
I want to tell you that we have to stay strong and put more
efforts to remove all the remaining bodies and bury them in
honor. Like that, we will just have to mourn only without
needing to remove the remaining bodies in the pits.
00:20:18:03
Survivors; I insist on that. Let us be courageous and remove
all the remaining bodies.
00:20:28:00
12
I remember my aunty; I remember Rwirangira her son; I
remember my mother’s family. May they rest in peace.
00:20:45:06
13
I remember my father’s family. They were born twelve and
now only two are alive. I remember my mother’s family.
They were sixteen and now only four are alive. I remember
our uncle Bagisa. I remember my elder brother Rurangira. I
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remember my eldest brother; he died when he was in fourth
year secondary school. Let us remember all of them.
00:21:10:19
14
00:21:26:08
I remember all the people with whom I was imprisoned in
Kibuye detention center in 1990. Some of them are dead. I
want you help me remembering my family who perished at
the convent. It is time to remember them.
I also wish that we keep on remembering all the people who
died along the past times because those who killed them,
sometimes get sorrowful as we also do. I think you
remember what happened to Abel and Cain.
Thank you.
00:22:04:17
15
I have chance to have time to say something. There are two
kinds of poor wretches. There are careless poor wretches
and careful poor wretches. Among the careless wretches are
the young girls and boys. I am also young; you do not need
to look at me so awfully. What I say is true.
00:22:25:09
When you get impregnated by people who killed your
families; it is a big shame; we feel so hurt. I also have my
sisters but they have to know that what they do is not good
at all. I will have enough time to talk about that. I am now
bearing it and I can tell you that it is now easy at all. Among
the responsibilities I now have, there is looking after my
sister but unfortunately they are leaving me.
00:22:56:23
I do not agree with men and women who are supposed to
raise up the orphans of their family relatives. They do not
really what they are supposed to do. They are just running
after money and do not care about their children. These
days are as the last, we are close to the end of the world.
These parents just look at money and waste the properties
of the orphans they are charged to keep. They no longer
care about their children; they no longer care about their
siblings.
00:23:30:10
They doing as if they are not concerned but God will make
them pay all. Esther said:” you can refuse to do it but still it
will be done.” It is shame that it is we, children, who notice
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such wrongdoing while you, adults, are sitting there doing
nothing.
00:23:46:19
16
00:24:02:14
00:24:19:04
Our brother-in-law came with a bulldozer to plane the
estate where Nyange church had to be built. The bulldozer
was cutting heads and legs of humans. We cannot forget
such atrocities. We would even do better to write it and
make it our history.
17
00:25:03:19
00:25:33:24
I remember you Hagenimana Leonard. Your head was like
a toy in the roundabout of Kibuye for three days. We cannot
help remembering such atrocities.
There were two years without seeing him. I just heard
saying that he might have been killed among the people
who were killed by Deputy Magari. However, I am not sure
of that. I remember when my brother Jean Marie was killed
at Kabgayi. I remember my brother Janvier who died bitten
by dogs at Gitega. I remember my beloved uncle; I loved
him too much such that when I remember him, I feel weak
and stop all movements. I remember that it him who taught
me everything. I remember my primary teachers:
Nyandekwe and Arnord.
I remember my teachers of secondary school at Nyundo. In
that time, only children of powerful men studied there. I
remember teacher Godiose who taught us mathematics and
physics. I remember Godberte Musaniwabo, I loved her
very much and I had not seen her since a long time before
her death.
18
You died at Nyakabanda. I remember Ntaganda and his
children who died at Gikondo. I remember the affection
that was in my family and I cannot feel it now any longer. I
remember my mother who died of heart crisis. Her heart
busted because of sorrow caused by the death of her family.
I remember Uwamurera from Bugesera. I remember
Gakumba who died at the front. I remember all my
relatives. I remember the love I lost. I remember peace I had
and that I cannot have any longer.
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There is nothing very important I can wish them; may they
rest in peace. May God receive them in his Kingdom. I want
to tell to the people who killed our families that ‘a chancy
dove makes his nest in the ruins of his hunter.’
00:26:40:05
19
I remember my mother Daphrose; I remember
Ngiruwonsanga; I remember Rutaganda, Mukatora and
Mukamana; I remember Mukarugamba; I remember
Bertilde; I remember Mukundirehe; I remember all other
people who died with children. I apologise to my father to
have denied him.
00:27:51:07
20
You loved me too much. I remember how you used to call
me every time. I remember you my mother, I remember
when you were thrown in the toilet. I remember how they
pierced you with a stick. I remember. I remember my
younger and elder brothers when they were thrown in the
toilet.
00:28:41:24
I remember my father when he was also thrown in the
toilet.
00:28:51:23
I remember my elder sister Kandama. I remember that she
was killed together with Muhorakeye. I remember you and
I will always remember you.
00:29:08:07
I remember my uncles; I remember our aunts. Only one
aunt is left.
00:29:29:05
I feel so grieved when I remember that you were all thrown
in the toilets.
00:29:33:04
21
I remember Kanamugire. I remember how atrociously he
was killed and thrown in the pit. They came back to get you
out of the pit and you refused. I remember how Hamimu
were killed bound hand and foot. I remember you all; you
were killed just because of your ethnic group. I remember
you, my younger sister. You were buried alive. I remember
you, my younger brother. I never knew where you were
killed. I remember you, my mother. I was your eldest child
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but I did not even come to bury you.
00:30:15:05
I remember Ruzindana Paul’ family that we are
accompanying tonight. I remember you all who were killed
and your bodies have never been found. I remember you
Tutsis who do not have living relatives to remember you. I
remember my grandfather Macamubiri. You were listening
to Radio Muhabura and you call your Hutu neighbors and
told:” you are exterminating us but our children are coming
to free us.” You thought they would not harm you but they
killed you with a hoe.
00:30:49:17
I remember you all who do not have living relatives to
remember you.
Thank you.