Rwanda and the genocide

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We had just over 10days in Rwanda and started by visiting the genocide memorials in and around the capital, Kigali. It might sound really macabre but having read a few books about the genocide over the last couple of years it's this that drew me to come here - and I'm really glad I did as despite the short time we had all in it ended up being one of my favourite African countries.

The genocide followed the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane crashed at Kigali airport under suspicious circumstances on 6 April 1994. Within hours a campaign of violence spread from the capital throughout the country. In Kigali the presidential guard initiated a campaign of retribution, murdering leaders of the political opposition and beginning the slaughter of Tutsi's and moderate Hutus almost immediately.

Over the next 100days between 800,000 - 1million Tut si's and moderate Hutus were murdered, crimes perpetrated by the Interahamwe, an unofficial militia, and government forces. Often victims were raped or horrifically mutilated before being killed - an estimated 250,000 - 500,000 Rwandese women and girls were raped during the genocide. People were killed in their homes or villages, the murderers, sometimes their former neighbours or even friends, hacking their victims to death with machetes. Some of the murderers participated out of hate or jealousy, others were ordinary citizens called on by local officials and government-sponsored radio to join the militia and kill or be killed.

Although the death of the president was the final catalyst trouble had been rife in Rwanda for years. The Civil War which began in 1990 had seemingly ended with signing of the Arusha Accords, a peace deal between the government and Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in August 1993, but alas neither the existence of the peace deal nor the presence of a very small UN force managed to calm the rising tension.

When the genocide began Tutsi's from the town of Nyamata, about 45km from Kigali, and the surrounding area gathered at the local catholic church. Wrongly believing the Interahamwe and government forces wouldn't kill them in a place normally thought of as a sanctuary they barricaded themselves inside and padlocked the doors. The militia broke through armed with grenades and machetes and murdered the 10,000+ men, women and children who had sought refuge in and around the church.

Today rows of long pews face the alter just as they might once have done for a normal Sunday service, except now they are covered with clothes that the victims were wearing when they were murdered. More are piled at the back of the church, trousers, T-shirts and more, some for adults, others worn by children, many a greyish colour, stained, dusty and faded with time, others like a football shirt still standing out brightly.

As they entered the church the Interahamwe fired bullets and threw grenades at those inside - now small streams of sunlight flicker through the holes in the tin roof that they left behind. Discoloured patches on the walls and ceilings trace the pattern of blood splatters and on the alter at the front lie a number of machetes. Perhaps the most powerful memory though is the smell, musty but one that hinted at the terror that had passed here.

In the middle of the floor a set of stairs leads down to a crypt. The walls and floor are decorated with bright white tiles giving it a clean sterile feel which seems at odds with what occurred here. The central display case has shelves with neat rows of human skulls, jewellery and other personal items from the victims. Below floor level a simple coffin contains the remains of a local woman, a community lady who like so many women was raped repeatedly and mutilated before being killed.

Back in the bright sunlight and fresh air we walked around to the back of the church and the large underground crypts which hold the remains of over 40,000 people who were killed hereabouts. A short set of steps led us down to a corridor, where the still air had an early smell and the the only light came from the sunlight filtering down the stairwell. The corridor was narrow, only wide enough for one person and the walls on either side were just a hand-span away and lined with rows of shelves, each @6ft wide. To the right of the stairwell every shelf was packed with neatly ordered rows of skulls and bones, to the left they held boxes, coffins really, each full with bones. There are no words that I can think of now to justly describe the experience and at the time we just stood quietly, no words really seeming appropriate.

During our visit we were accompanied by a young guide who pointed out key features, provided us with some basic information but also left us alone to absorb the emotion of the place ourselves. As we left he introduced us to another man who was sat quietly at the entrance to the church. One of only two survivors he must have been a young child at the time. We desperately wanted to ask how he survived but it didn't feel right to ask, and anyway we already suspected that we knew the answer.

Back on the main road we took a couple of moto taxi's for the scary (I really hate moto's) 5km ride up the road to the church of Ntarama where @5000 died. Smaller than the church at Nyamata it too had rows of pews but they were empty, instead the clothes of those that died here hung from the walls and the rafters. At the back four rows of shelves were lined with skulls, some cracked, or with holes indicating the killing blow, another with an arrow still inbedded and a collection of much smaller child sized ones. Above the alter are the mattresses that people slept on whilst waiting here, behind it caskets hold more remains of those killed here. Outside holes in the church walls mark where the militia broke through to throw grenades inside and behind it, next to the former kitchen and sunday school, is a pretty memorial garden and simple wall engraved with the names of some of those that died here.

Back in Kigali I would have liked to have gone for a drink at the Hotel Mille Collines, aka Hotel Rwanda where temporary manager Paul Rusesabagina used his connections and influence to save the lives of over 1000 Tutsi's and moderate Hutus who took shelter there. Unfortunately it had just recently shut for renovation so standing outside was about as close as I got. Just down the road from our hotel was the St Famille church where the Catholic priest Wenceslas Munyeshyaka actively collaborated in the massacre of the the Tutsis who had sought refuge there. Finally there was the very informative Kigali Memorial Center which, slightly out of town is now a genocide museum built on a site where over 250,000 people are buried.

Next up the lighter side of Rwanda - relaxing by the lake and trekking with Gorillas!

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