Genocide widow seeks decent burial for her dead children

NYARUGENGE - Fifteen years down the road after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, a widow and survivor of the Genocide is still seeking a proper burial for her family’s remains. Domitilla Mukandahiro, claims she knows the pit latrine where over 20 people, including her 4 children, were thrown. “What I ask for is help to give my people a decent burial. It haunts me to know the pit latrine where they still are. But no one has helped me bury them despite having sought help from local authorities,” the apparently disillusioned widow told The New Times. The 47-year old says the pit latrine in question is located in Taba sector former Nyarurama in current Nyarugenge District. She also says she watched the horrendous murders while in her hideout. According to Mukandahiro, she witnessed Interahamwe militias and her neighbours throwing her four children and other victims in the pit latrine when still alive and stoned them to death. Mukandahiro revealed to The New Times that despite her constant pleas to the responsible authorities to give a proper burial to the victims’ remains, she has not been given due consideration. “For a long time, I have approached the authorities within my reach, like the Executive Secretary of Taba sector in Nyarugenge, to forward the issue to higher authorities but my efforts have been futile.” When contacted, Jean de Dieu Mucyo, the Executive Secretary of National Commission for the Fight against (CNLG), said that he was not aware of the case. “I didn’t know about this case, but since it has come to my attention, I am going to assign someone to follow it up until she gets help.” Ends