WESTERN PROVINCE

NYAMASHEKE — A survivor of the 1994 Genocide has been killed in Gasumo village, Impala Cell, in Bushenge Sector of Nyamasheke district.

Maxim Niyibizi, 39, was hacked by machetes by unknown assailants on Tuesday night at about 8:35pm while returning home from a nearby trading centre. He died the following day morning on the way to Bushenge Hospital.

Police at Bushenge Police Post said the deceased was found lying in a pool of blood on the roadside just about 200 meters from his home.

Three suspects including the deceased ex-wife, Alphonsine Mukeshimana have been arrested in connection with the killing.

Police identified the other suspect as Damascene Sebazungu alias Muzungu and another whose name was not readily available.

Police suspected the killers to be genocide suspects who wanted to erase evidence of their involvement in the 1994 genocide in Gacaca courts.

"Niyibizi was a genocide survivor  and our preliminary investigations suggests that he may have been killed by genocide suspects and their accomplices who don’t want their acts in the 1994 genocide revealed” a police official said.

Joseph Mwumvaneza, the president of IBUKA, an umbrella of genocide survivors in Bushenge sector, told The New Times that the deceased had been getting anonymous letters with death threats because he was a genocide witness.

At Shangi Police station, the deceased’s ex-wife, Mukeshimana said, "Yes I was with the two men who killed my former husband but I was not involved in his death because I tried to call residents around the area to come to his rescue in vain.” 

Niyibizi was a demobilized RDF soldier. He is survived by two children and five genocide orphans whom he had adopted. 

Ends