20 Years Ago Today, the World Abandoned Rwanda
#Kwibuka20 — Remember.
20 years ago today, UN Peacekeepers walked out of a school turned UN military camp leaving thousands of Tutsi to be killed. Many consider this the moment when the world chose to abandon Rwanda. 95 more days of killing would follow, claiming over a million lives. The following account and video is provided by the Kwibuka20 project. 100 stories remembering the 100 days of violence.
During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, mass killings in Kicukiro took place in Nyanza ya Kicukiro, Gikondo, Gahanga, Gatenga and Kanombe.
Those who were killed at Nyanza ya Kicukiro were brought from École Technique Officielle (English: Official Technical School or ETO) Kicukiro, a secondary school converted to UN military camp. Between 3,500-5,000 Tutsi took refuge there when the genocide started and were inside with UN peacekeepers from Belgium. Outside militia attempted to attack the camp.
On 11 April 1994, the Belgian troops left ETO Kicukiro. Young Tutsi kneeled in front of the vehicles, pleading with them to stay. But the troops shot in the air and drove away. The departure of the UNAMIR troops was done simultaneously with the entry of soldiers of the genocidal government and Interahamwe militia.
The government soldiers and militia took the Tutsi to Sonatube where the Mayor of the city, Lt Col Tharcisse Renzaho, ordered that they instead be taken to Nyanza and killed from there because Sonatube was too visible as it was along the road to the airport.
In heavy rain, starved Tutsi were forced to march to Nyanza. Those too weak to march were killed on the way. When they arrived at Nyanza, the militia ensured that no Hutu were among the group, asking for them to identify themselves with their ID cards. Then the mass killing begun. The militia and solider shot and threw grenades at the Tutsi. Afterwards, they used machetes to kill the Tutsi. The next morning they attempted to finish the slaughter but were stopped by the Rwandan Patriotic Army who rescued the few who had survived the massacre.
Kicukiro District has six genocide memorials, among them Nyanza ya Kicukiro where the Tutsi who were abandoned by UN troops are buried. There are a total of approximately 11,000 victims who have been laid to rest there. At the Rebero Genocide Memorial 14,000 victims are buried with the politicians who were killed during the genocide. The closing of the week of mourning will take place at Rebero on 13 April 2014.
Learn more and join millions of Rwandans in rememberance at http://kwibuka.rw
