The Association of Genocide Widows, AVEGA Agahozo, has condemned the murder of Pauline Nduwamungu, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, who was beheaded in Ngoma District.
Alphonsine Mukarugema , Vice President of AVEGA, said the November 14 attack was not only an assault on Nduwamungu, but also a cruel blow to all Genocide survivors.
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Nduwamungu will be laid to rest in Thursday, November 21, in Rukumberi Sector of Ngoma District. She was 66 years old.
Nduwamungu was fatally attacked from her home in Rukumberi. The attackers threw her headless body in a compost pit and her head in a pit latrine.
"This senseless killing is not just an attack on one person,” Mukarugema said in an interview with The New Times.
"It strikes fear into the hearts of survivors who have already endured unimaginable suffering. These crimes, seen in districts like Ngoma, Karongi, Nyaruguru, and Ruhango, threaten the safety and security of survivors,” she said.
"This is a message to everyone that the toxic ideology of hate is still in some people’s hearts and we will not stop the fight against it.”
"We will not let fear win,” Mukarugema said. "Widowed survivors need to be able to live in peace, without constant threats to their lives. We owe them very much after everything they have endured. They did the unimaginable by forgiving [the Genocide perpetrators].
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Nduwamungu had three children, all now married, and she had dedicated her life to helping others as a nutritionist at Rukoma Health Centre.
A heartbroken Emmanuel Ndikumwenayo, who was a nephew to Nduwamungu, paid his tributes to her.
"She paid my school fees and provided everything I needed,” Ndikumwenayo said. "I don’t know how to face the future without her support. She believed in me and wanted me to succeed. Now, she’s gone.”
Zawadi Mbonibogora, who worked with Nduwamungu for12 years at the health centre, described her as a generous woman who treated people with kindness.
"Pauline was a friend to the entire community,” Mbonibogora said. "She supported me whenever I needed help, be it financial support or words of encouragement.”
Mbonibogora said however that Nduwamungu lived in fear for her life.
"She told me how her neighbors harassed her, saying she was too wealthy and envying her educated children. I never thought their jealousy could lead to this.
"This tragedy is a reminder of the work we still need to do. We must stand together as a community to condemn these acts and ensure they do not happen again.”
The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) had made a number of arrests of suspects linked to Nduwamungu’s murder. Among them is a man identified as Nziza, who confessed to killing the Genocide survivors.
RIB spokesperson Thierry Murangira said investigation was ongoing to determine the motive behind Nduwamungu’s murder.
"Attacks on Genocide survivors not only cause irreparable harm to individuals but also threaten the fabric of our national unity and reconciliation efforts,” said AVEGA’s Mukarugema, calling on the government and the Rwandan society to take decisive action to protect Genocide survivors and ensure their safety.