The Pre 1994 Massacres in Kinigi

An organized campaign to kill the Bagogwe, by the local population through what was dubbed special community work, was reinforced in January1991, when over 15 women in Bisate market stoned to death Samuel Ndagijimana, accusing him for being a Tutsi and a spy.Bertha Mujawamariya, a Genocide survivor from Kinigi, testified Saturday at the end of Genocide commemoration, that the incident, gave confidence to others to start killing the Tutsi, without fear. The killing of Bagogwe pastoralists, who occupied areas close to the Virunga forest, began after a government directive instructing the population to fight what they said were ‘enemies’, and wipe out their ‘accomplice’. “The common belief that a cockroach gives birth to a cockroach, made us vulnerable, they were our neighbors who turned against us, everyone here is carrying a burden not only the survivors,’’ Mujawamariya said.Mujawariya was the first brave woman who showed around a team of Swiss experts who came to investigate the killings in 1991. She showed them the bodies buried in a septic tank at the home of bourgmestre Ernest Gasana of Kinigi. “Tutsi girls and women who were rescued or hidden were first sexually abused, the wounds will take a long time to heal, we lost our loved ones, but the mission to exterminate the Tutsi was not reached,’’ notes Mujawamariya. Epimaque Sanvura, of Ibuka, said that, a popular campaign to have the local population get united served to make Genocide possible “you have to understand that when a majority people is divided then, the majority becomes a minority” was a slogan used to mobilise for killing. Speaking at the closure of commemoration week, the president of National Unity and Reconciliation Commission Retired Bishop John Rucyahana said that Rwandans have written a new page of history by uniting and developing in the aftermath of the Genocide.“ We devalued ourselves during the Genocide, the survivors have both physical and psychological wounds, those who participated in killing are haunted by guilt, they live with blood on their hands, everyone is carrying a burden, we should write a new chapter of reconciliation.’’ Rucyahana saidThe district mayor, Winifridah Mpembyemungu, said that over Rrw9 million, including food stuffs, have been contributed to support the vulnerable Genocide survivors during the commemoration week