April 21, 1994: UN ignores warnings, adopts resolution to withdraw some troops from Rwanda

On April 21, 1994, the United Nations disregarded the urgent calls regarding the escalating crisis in Rwanda as the UN Security Council amended the UNAMIR mandate and withdrew a portion of its troops from the country. The security council passed a resolution that modified the UNAMIR, reducing its troop presence to just 250 soldiers, despite the fact that General Romeo Dallaire, the head of the UNAMIR, had sent reports to the UN informing his bosses of the massacres of the Tutsi in Rwanda. ALSO READ: April 20, 1994: Queen Rosalie Gicanda assassinated, over 20,000 people burnt to death in church compound The Genocide continued to take place in the country, and on April 21, massacres were recorded in various places including Murambi town in Nyamagabe, where 50,000 Tutsi were killed, having gathered from various places to seek refuge in the area. Interahamwe and policemen attacked them on April 21 at around 3am and started firing grenades and shooting at them, before using traditional weapons on those who had remained alive. Those who participated in the killing of more than 50,000 Tutsi include Laurent Bucyibaruta, the former governor of Gikongoro (current Nyamagabe and surrounding areas), Felicien Semakwavu, the former mayor of Nyamagabe , Captain Faustin Sebuhura who led the police in Nyamagabe, and Colonel Aloys Simba, a military officer in the ex-FARDC. ALSO READ: April 19, 1994: Tutsi ordered to dig own graves, soldiers shell Amahoro stadium It is important to note that Murambi was also the campsite of the French military in the “Zone Turquoise” where they claimed to have come to protect Tutsi who were being killed, but this did not really happen. After killing the Tutsi at Murambi, the killers continued to Cyanika Parish in the same district where they murdered more 35,000 Tutsi who had taken refuge there. April 21 was quite atrocious in Nyamagabe. On the day, more killings took place at Kaduha Catholic Parish in the same district, claiming lives of around 4,5000 Tutsi, and leaving only a few survivors. ALSO READ: April 18, 1994: Interim president Sindikubwabo, Karemera incite the masses to commit genocide in rural Rwanda The killings at Kaduha were motivated and led by intellectuals including Father Robert Nyandwi, Joachim Hategekimana, a local leader in the area, and Francois Karangwa, a court staff. In Ruhango district, there were massacres at Ntongwe hills, Ntongwe sector offices and the Nyamukumba valley. During the massacres, Interahamwe partnered with Burundian refugees and government soldiers to kill the Tutsi. Nyamukumba valley in particular was named “the apocalypse of Tutsi” due to a huge number of Tutsi who were killed there after escaping from grenades, bullets and machetes during the attack at Ntongwe sector offices. ALSO READ: April 17, 1994: Genocidal government appoints extremist officials to expedite killings The soldiers had positioned big guns on the hills around Nyamukumba, so that wherever the Tutsi would flee, they would be watching and shot at. Many Tutsi were killed by use of the guns, while Interahamwe also participated in the massacres by using traditional weapons. ALSO READ: April 16, 1994: The atrocious Rukumberi killings take shape At Karama Church in Runyinya, Huye, many Tutsi were killed on April 21, 1994 by a large number of killers carrying clubs and machetes. On a disturbing note, after killing the adults, Interahamwe took the children who had survived the massacre and put them together, cooked porridge for them but they had put poison in it. The children died of the poisoned porridge. Bodies of about 70,000 Tutsi are buried at the Karama Genocide Memorial. Many massacres took place across the country in places like Kigali, Nyaruguru and Gisagara, claiming more lives of the Tutsi on April 21, 1994.

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April 21, 1994: UN ignores warnings, adopts resolution to withdraw some troops from Rwanda