April 8, 1994: Genocide spread all over Rwanda, soldiers, Interahamwe joined forces to kill Tutsi

On the night of April 6 to 7, 1994, after the downing of the plane carrying president Juvenal Habyarimana, Interahamwe militia and Habyarimana's presidential guard instantly began to set up roadblocks in Kigali, hunting down and killing the Tutsi.That night, radio Rwanda and RTLM stations broadcast a press release signed by Col Theoneste Bagosora, the directeur du cabinet (chief of staff) in the Ministry of Defence, announcing the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana and asking the population to stay at home, in order to organize the massacre of the Tutsi without the latter being able to escape. Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines(RTLM) was an extremist radio earlier founded and financed by hard-line extremists. Its programmes called on the public to hunt and kill the Tutsi during the genocide.· Hate Radio: Theatre play on RTLM’s role in 1994 Genocide to be showcased in Huye, Kigali· Genocide: Senegalese General narrates his experience in Rwanda in 1994· April 7, 1994: What really happened on the day killings unfolded?· Killing many in a short period; how civilians were prepared for the Genocide· Genocide against the Tutsi remains a stain on our conscience, says UN officialImmediately, through the city of Kigali, especially in Kacyiru and Kimihurura neighbourhoods, the Interahamwe set up barricades and began to screen, arrest and kill the Tutsi. At the same time, the massacres of Tutsi began throughout the country, mainly coordinated by the state administration – Ministers, Prefects, Burgomasters, Municipal councilors – the army and the gendarmerie in an effort to kill politicians who did not support Habyarimana's government and the genocide plot.On April 8, the massacres intensified countrywide.Presidential Guard, Interahamwe join forces to kill the Tutsi in NyamiramboOn April 8, 1994, Interahamwe and soldiers killed the Tutsi in Nyamirambo, in various places where they had taken refuge, especially at the Catholic Parish of Saint Charles Lwanga, the convent of the Josephite brothers and Saint André College.That day, Interahamwe also began killing the Tutsi who had taken refuge in the Catholic parish of Ruhuha, in Bugesera.The massacre of Tutsi at Kiryamocyinzovu, in TabaThe massacres in Taba Commune, in former Gitarama Prefecture began on April 8. Interahamwe set up roadblocks at various locations including Rwabashyashya, Buguri, Gishyeshye and around the Remera hospital in Rukoma.Silas Kubwimana, the chairman of the ruling MRND party in the Taba Commune, organized a meeting in Kiryamocyinzovu, and declared that the Tutsi were the enemy that must be denounced.He lied that the Tutsi had dug pits into which they were going to throw the bodies of the Hutu.The Tutsi were rounded up and gradually brought to Kiryamocyinzovu – which now bears the nickname CND – to be massacred there.Kubwimana coordinated the massacres. Many other Tutsi came to take refuge in the commune but found Interahamwe waiting for them.Bourgmestre Jean-Napoleon Mubiligi coordinated massacres at Nkaka ParishFrom April 8, the Tutsi started looking for refuge in the Parish of Nkanka, currently in Rusizi District, because massacres and the burning of the houses had started in Gitwa and Murambi.They sought refuge in the Parish because they had become the Mayor of Kamembe Commune, Jean Napoléon Mubiligi, had earlier declared that the Tutsi would be safe there. He even sent police officers there to protect them. But all he wanted was to know how many Tutsi there were so that he could prevent them from fleeing to Zaire. Mubiligi and the parish priest, Thaddée Ngirinshuti, organized a meeting with Interahamwe leaders from Kamembe Commune and planned the extermination of the Tutsi.To ensure that the Tutsi could not defend themselves during the attacks, the parish priest took all the weapons (spears, machetes, sticks and bows and arrows), and told them: All refugees must not carry weapons.”Once he had disarmed them, all the 60 Tutsi who had taken refuge there were killed.Yussuf Munyakazi, Marcel Sebatware exterminated Tutsi at CIMERWA cement factoryIn Rusizi district, Muganza sector, Shara cell, in the former Bugarama commune, the Tutsi were killed at a place called Specialized cell where the notorious Yussuf Munyakazi was born. The Tutsi in this area were unable to escape and join others with whom they could have confronted the Interahamwe and defended themselves.On April 8, they were brought to the premises of the CIMERWA cement factory and killed. The director general of CIMERWA, Marcel Sebatware, and others, drew a list of nearly 80 Tutsi employed there, and directed other employees to hand them over to Interahamwe.Tutsi were killed in Buhinga locality, in CyanguguBuhinga is located at the intersection of the three main roads from Rusizi, Nyamasheke and Nyungwe. A blockade guarded by many Interahamwe was set up there. From April 7, the Tutsi who passed there on their way to pick tea leaves were beaten up, with some stripped naked and ordered to dance in front of their tormentors.On April 8, four Tutsi were killed there. The Tutsi whose houses had not yet been burnt down were massacred. Interahamwe in Bushekeri Sector began to close in on the Tutsi there. The Tutsi from the Ruvumbu, Rundwa and Nyanza cells were also surrounded. All who were not able to escape were brought to Buhinga, killed and their bodies thrown into a pit. Interahamwe had instructions to kill the Tutsi while together in large numbers so that they could chase the others who were hiding.Some were thrown in the pit alive.Col Anatole Nsengiyumva ordered extermination of Tutsi in NyundoCol Anatole Nsengiyumva ordered soldiers and Interahamwe to exterminate all the Tutsi who were in Nyundo, at the minor seminary, at the hospital, in the schools and within the population. Nsengiyumva served as Head of the Intelligence Bureau of the Army General Staff and Commander of the Gisenyi Operational Sector from June 1993 to July 1994. On April 7, Tutsi took refuge in the Nyundo seminary and were killed.On April 8, the survivors went to the Diocese to join others there. They spent the day fighting the Interahamwe but, eventually, Interahamwe and soldiers broke in and killed the Tutsi who had taken refuge there.A priest called Deogratias Twagirayezu was the first to be killed by Interahamwe at the minor seminary.Massacres at Adventist University of Mudende in GisenyiPart of the Adventist University of Mudende was built in the Mudende Sector, while the other was built in the Mugongo Sector, in Mutura Commune, Gisenyi Prefecture. During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the killers began attacking the Tutsi at their homes, which led many people to take refuge at Adventist University of Mudende hoping to find a safe refuge there given that there were foreigners, mostly Americans, who worked there.On arriving there, an American confiscated their weapons – mainly sticks – and hid them. But at around 3 p.m. a group of killers attacked the university. The American rushed and handed the refugees their sticks so that they could defend themselves. The men fought using sticks while women and girls threw stones and bricks. They repelled three attacks.On April 8, however, an attack was carried out by soldiers from the Bigogwe military camp commanded by Lt Col Alphonse Nzungize. Many refugees perished.Tutsi were killed at Mizingo roadblock, in Mutura CommuneAt a place called Mizingo, in Kanyirabigogo cell, in Kanzenze sector, in Mutura commune, there was a roadblock was led by Ntamaherezo, president of the MRND in Mutura commune in whose home meetings which planned the Genocide were held.At this roadblock, Tutsi were assaulted and killed on April 8.The Interahamwe killed many Tutsi in Mashyuza, Nyamyumba Commune, and at BRALIRWA.On April 8, at BRALIRWA, 11 truck drivers who had come from different parts of the country to transport drinks were killed. The Interahamwe took them out of the small hotels where they were staying and brought them to Mashyuza and killed them.200 Tutsi massacred in KinyinyaOn April 8, in the Kinyinya sector, nearly 200 Tutsi took refuge at the premises of the German Radio Deutsche Welle in Kinyinya, in Kigali. Two days later, the Germans left the camp and Interahamwe from Kinyinya massacred them all apart from only three survivors.Tutsi thrown into Mukungwa riverThe Tutsi who lived in Mugunga, in the former Gatonde Commune, near Ndusu, were thrown into the Mukungwa River at the place called Bukeri, near the Vunga shopping center and market, in Ruhengeri Prefecture, current Musanze district.From April 8 until April 22, the Tutsi were gathered, tied up and thrown into the Mukungwa River; their torturers told them they were sending them to Arusha for peace negotiations. Those who were going to die were gathered on the bridge connecting the Gatonde and Ndusu Communes.Protais Zigiranyirazo led massacres at Kesho hill, Muhanda Sector, in Ngororero CommuneOn the hill of Kesho, called Rubaya, there are tea plantations and a tea factory. It was in the former Gaseke Commune where the Bagogwe defended themselves with stones and spears, until they were killed by the army on April 8.Protais Zigiranyirazo, commonly known as Monsieur Zed, the brother of Agathe Kanziga, Habyalimana’s wife, the bourgmestre of Gaseke Commune Ignace Bazubahande and Anastase Djaribu, the director of the Rubaya tea factory, coordinated the massacres in this region.More than 500 Tutsi killed by Interahamwe in MurambiIn Rwankuba, in the Murambi Sector, more than 500 Tutsi were killed by Interahamwe and their neighbours. The killers were led by Councilor Jean Bizimungu who rounded up the Tutsi and burned them alive.In Kiziguro, in Rukungu, currently Ndatemwa Cell, Kiziguro Sector, in just two hours almost all the Tutsi who lived there had been killed. They were killed by the Interahamwe from Bishenyi and Rukunku led by Aloys Gakwerere and Manasse Muganga and others from Rugurarama.On the same day, the Tutsi were killed in Kaje, Rwamitereri cell, Murambi Sector and in the center of Rugwiro where they were gathered under the pretext of protecting them when, actually, it was a ruse to kill them.The massacres were planned by, among others, the bourgmestre of Murambi Commune Jean Baptiste Gatete and Councilor Jérôme Nkubana.Tutsi were killed at the orphanage in Gakenke Cell, Kiramuruzi sector.On April 8, the Tutsi who had taken refuge at Mata tea factory in Nyaruguru region were massacred just like those who had taken refuge on Nyawera hill, Mwiri sector, Kayonza district.The same day, nearly 5,000 Tutsi who had taken refuge in the Adventist church of Cyambara, Bigogwe sector, Gisenyi Prefecture, were massacred just like those who had taken refuge in Shyira hospital in Ruhengeri Prefecture, current in Nyabihu district.On the same day, the massacres of Tutsi began in Rutsiro Commune, in Kibuye Prefecture.Killings at Zaza Catholic Parish and Zaza Petit SeminaireZaza Parish is one of the first Catholic parishes in Rwanda. On April 8, massacre began there in day time.In the days that followed, Interahamwe continued their killing spree, using traditional weapons, guns and grenades.

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April 8, 1994: Genocide spread all over Rwanda, soldiers, Interahamwe joined forces to kill Tutsi