Genocide survivors from the former Gikongoro Prefecture (currently Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru districts), have received to the sentencing of genocide mastermind Laurent Bucyibaruta with mixed feelings. While they are happy that 78-year old Bucyibaruta, who presided over killings of tens of thousands of Tutsis in Gikongoro where he was the prefet was finally put to trial and convicted, they are disappointed about sentence rendered. The reactions followed the ruling by the Cour d’assises de Paris on July 12 where they handed over Bucyibaruta a 20-year jail sentence for his role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. French prosecutors had asked for life sentence. In an interview with The New Times, Remy Kamugire the vice president of Ibuka in Nyamagabe said that generally as the people who lost their loved ones during the Genocide, they wished for him to get the maximum sentence, which is life under French laws. “We are not happy with that punishment (20 years) compared to the nature of Genocide, especially in Gikongoro under his leadership, and because of his role in Genocide we lost our parents among other victims. Around 150,000 people died here,” he said. However, Kamugire further added that most importantly is that he was finally found guilty and sentenced after 28 years which he says gives a bit of closure to the survivors, describing it as “better than nothing.” Marie-Rose Ntorano, another survivor from Nyamagabe also bemoaned the lenient sentence. “We are unhappy for that sentence 20 years are very few the real punishment was life sentence,” she said. In addition, Ntorano added that it would also be good where possible, to have Bucyibaruta sent to Rwanda to complete his sentence. Caritas Mukangango, another Genocide survivor and representative of the AVEGA in the Kaduha sector, said that they wished for a longer sentence given the nature of the crime, as well as the power he had back then, “he would have saved many lives instead of letting them be killed.” Mukangango said that during the Genocide, besides losing her husband, she also lost many of her family members in Gikongoro due to the bad leadership of Bucyibaruta. “During the Genocide, my kids were still young one was four years while the other one was one year and it has been a long journey to explain to them where their father is as well as other family members,” she explained Mukangango however pointed out that at least being convicted is a way of giving justice to survivors in general. Former Gikongoro prefecture is second to Kibuye (current Karongi District) with the highest number of victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
