The History of The Genocide in Nyange Sector

THE HISTORY OF THE GENOCIDE IN NYANGE SECTOR
A Collective Account
August 2003
PO Box 3836, Kigali, Rwanda

Tel: 00 250 501007 Fax: 00 250 501008
Web: www.africanrights.org
Email: rights@rwanda1.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION TO NYANGE SECTOR
2. HISTORY OF THE GENOCIDE BY CELLULE
2.1 Cyambogo Cellule

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison
b) The Genocide Survivors and Other Witnesses
2.2 Kanyinya Cellule

2.3 Murambi Cellule

2.4 Nsibo Cellule

2.5 Nyange Cellule

2.6 Vungu Cellule

2.7 Cellule Zegenya

3. COMMENTS
1. INTRODUCTION TO NYANGE SECTOR
Because of the high number of victims killed there, Nyange was chosen as one of the 12 pilot
sectors, which began work on the gacaca trials in June 2002. Nyange is now in Budaha
district, Kibuye province, but in 1994 it was in Kivumu commune. It has eight cellules:
Cyambogo, Vungu, Zegenya, Nyange, Kanyinya, Nsibo, Muganza and Murambi. Before the
genocide the Kivumu local administration offices were based there. There was Kivumu
district court; the business centre; the Kivumu Sisters of Assumption convent; Kivumu
development cooperative—CODECOKI—which had flourished in the region; and Nyange
parish run by the priests under the leadership of Nyundo diocese.
According to detainees and survivors of the genocide, the killings in Nyange sector began on
the night of 7-8 April in Murambi cellule. The teacher, Télésphore Ndungutse, head of the
local militia, gave the order. From 8 April, the Tutsis from Murambi and those from
neighbouring cellules began to take refuge in the parish. The commune authorities called
upon the other Tutsis hiding on their hills to come to the parish for their security. It was a
means of gathering them in one place so as to carry out the genocide. From 14 to 16 April,
large-scale massacres began, ending in the demolition of Nyange church. From the first hours
of the killings, this church and its courtyard overflowed with refugees who came looking for
protection from the clergy. But it was there that an unprecedented carnage unfolded, in which
more than 2,500 people died. Because the refugees didn’t want to come out of the church
itself, in the end the building was destroyed. The church was razed to the ground by
caterpillar bulldozers when it still sheltered people who were alive or wounded during the
preceding attacks. It was completely demolished, apart from rubble scattered here and there.
The victims were buried and a memorial site has been erected there in their honour.
The mass grave at Zegenya, which the génocidaires generally called “CND” (the National
Council for Development)1 remains as a symbol of suffering for the survivors. Not only did
their tormentors throw corpses into the communal graves, they threw in people who were still
alive. The former authorities also erected roadblocks there to search for Tutsis wherever they
were hiding.
1
This is a reference to the fact that from December 1993 the headquarters of the Rwandese Patriotic
Front (RPF) in Kigali was in the CND building.
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2. THE HISTORY OF THE GENOCIDE BY CELLULE
2.1 Cyambogo cellule
Cyambogo cellule is situated near the centre of Nyange, along the Kibuye-Gitarama road.
Nearly all the administrative offices of what used to be Kivumu commune are there: the
commune office, the district court etc… With the new administrative structures, Cyambogo
was chosen as the administrative site for Budaha district. This district includes the former
communes of Kivumu and Bwakira. It is bordered by Ngobagoba sector—including Nsibo
and Ngobagoba cellules to the north and Zegenya and Kabuye cellules to the east. To the
south is Murambi cellule and to the west, Vungu cellule.
From the beginning of the October 1990 war until 6 April 1994
After the October war, bitter words circulated in Cyambogo and these were behind some
fierce actions by Hutus against Tutsis. This violence had its roots in the neighbouring
commune of Kibilira, Gisenyi préfecture, where the Tutsis were massacred from the time the
inkotanyi attacked. In several sectors of Kivumu commune, Tutsis’ cattle were looted and
their houses were set alight. These sectors included Gasave, Kigali, Bwira, Kibanda,
Ngobagoba and Nyange. There was also other violence against Tutsis in three of Nyange’s
cellules: Murambi, Vungu and Cyambogo. Apart from the insults hurled at Tutsis, the home
of Mushongore’s son was attacked. The invaders wanted to set his houses on fire. Thanks to
his neighbours’ intervention, the assault failed and none of his property was touched.
Ndungutse, from Murambi sector, was behind all the malicious plans. He died in exile,2 but
used to be the vice-president of the MRND in Kivumu commune, a teacher at the secondary
school in Kigali sector, and president of the administrative council of the bank, Kivumu
banque populaire, as well as a trader.
As this violence took place on a large scale, the commune authorities, under pressure from the
opposition political parties, imprisoned some dangerous elements in the cellule. A man called
Murindanyi, Gasaruhande’s son, was put in Kibuye central prison. Nyange’s councillor,
Tharcisse Habakurama, and some of the responsables from Nyange cellule were dismissed
from their posts.
The days immediately following the announcement of President Habyarimana’s death
The people of Cyambogo cellule learned of the death of Habyarimana from Radio Rwanda
and Radio télévision libre des mille collines (RTLM) on 7 April. Immediately afterwards,
some people began inciting the Hutus to begin taking revenge for the death of the President
by getting rid of Tutsis. The first inflammatory words came from sub-lieutenant Kalimbanya,
who was on leave. Before going back to his post, he took advantage of the opportunity to go
around the whole cellule in an ambulance from Nyange health centre calling upon Hutus to
consider Tutsis as their enemies. Because of this sensitisation, the residents divided into two
opposing camps.
On 8 April, several wounded members of Grégoire Ndakubana’s family, from Murambi

sector, went to Nyange health centre. They’d just escaped an attack led by Ndungutse.
Because of this invasion led by certain Hutus, Tutsis all over Nyange sector realised that they
were going to experience the same violence and thought it a good idea to leave their houses.
Many of them preferred to take refuge in Nyange church. The others headed for the Sisters of
2
Some interviewees believe that he may be in exile.
4
Assumption convent. There were also some who chose the bush. By 10 April, the security of
all Tutsis in Nyange was unstable. The Tutsi civil servants in Kivumu chose to stay at the
commune office with their families. Among them was Boniface Gatare from Zegenya cellule
and five members of his family. His Tutsi neighbours followed in his footsteps and came to
the commune office.
The first “security meeting” and the gathering of Tutsis in a single location
From 11 April, the bourgmestre, Grégoire Ndahimana, called a meeting supposedly for
security. This meeting gathered together all the leaders of Kivumu commune. Those present
demanded that Tutsis assemble in one place. Nyange church was identified as an enormous
building which could accommodate them. During the meeting, the participants gave the order
to all the councillors in Kivumu to force all the Tutsis who were still hiding with their
neighbours or in the bush, to join the others. To facilitate this, the police were to go right
across the commune, passing this message on. Lastly, the participants in the meeting were
delighted by the plans for gendarmes to come to their cellule. Those present at the meeting
were: the heads of services in Kivumu commune; all the sector councillors; and Father
Athanase Seromba, the priest of Nyange parish. For a meeting supposedly intended for
security, the true impulse behind the intentions of the bourgmestre, Grégoire, and the judicial
police inspector(IPJ) Fulgence Kayishema, became evident when they freed unconditionally
those who had thrown themselves into the killings in the area, namely Callixte Munyaneza,
now deceased; Théoneste Munyaneza, who is in Gisovu prison; Vénuste Munyabera, at
liberty; Modeste Nkurunzinza, from Ngobaboba sector, in Gisovu prison; Gaspard Gasigwa,
from Kigali, who is deceased; Ndindabo, alias “Kanyarengwe”, from Kigali, now dead;
Bimenyimana, detained in Kibuye and Alphonse Hakuzimana, in Kibuye prison.
The decision to bring together all the refugees in Nyange church was implemented a few
hours after the meeting ended. Most of the refugees were taken to the parish the next day. A
Toyota Stout van, stolen from a Tutsi, Rwamasirabo, by his driver, Jean Uwimana, helped
with the transport. That day, Mugenzi, who was in charge of the health centre in Nyange, was
taken by the bourgmestre to join the other Tutsis. The business of gathering together the
refugees in the church was supervised by the bourgmestre, Father Athanase Seromba and the
gendarmes who came from Kibuye. Around 2:00 p.m., men led by Gashugi, a shopkeeper in
Nyange business centre, invaded Cyambogo cellule and began setting fire to the homes of the
following Tutsis: Harelimana; Ntabyera; and Gaspard. These invaders led the acts of
destruction and organised the looting of the following Tutsis’ homes: Mushongore;
Rwagatwaza; Bandora, where they also took two cows; and Munyanshoza, whose two cows
were taken away by Mulindanyi. The gang was made up of militiamen from Ngobagoba,
Dutwe and Kigali, among them Mbaraga, in exile; Pierre Munyampirwa, deceased; Rukara, in
Gisovu prison; Kanyarengwe; Vincent Nsengiyaremye; Gafurama, at liberty; and
Mukeshimana, deceased.
Events after 13 April
On 13 April, Gashugi led an assault upon Claver Gatwaza, a Hutu, and his wife Marciane.
The aim was to kill Jean Baptiste Kayiranga who had hidden there, as well as Marciane’s
nephew. As the bourgmestre first wanted to bring people together in the church, he saved
those who were captured. On 14 April, the residents of Cyambogo witnessed the movement
of several interahamwe from all the sectors, heading for Nyange church for a meeting to wipe
out the Tutsis. Some of Cyambogo’s residents joined them there. The refugees managed to
defend themselves against the attackers. During the invasion of the parish, certain
interahamwe got the opportunity to carry out killings and looting in Cyambogo cellule. In this
context, raiders, including Mugwiza, took Gatorano’s cow and slaughtered it on the spot,
between Kanyemera and Habarugira’s house. Ndebera, Kanyemera, Mbaraga and
Mukeshimana have since given back the equivalent of this cow. That day, the killers
5
consisting of Augustin Serugendo, Murekezi and many others spilled the blood of three
unknown Tutsis below the Nyange health centre. A gang made up of Mashari and Mbaraga
dug out Mukarusagara from Fidèle Ngirabega’s house and killed her with a machete. Esdras
Ngendahayo saved the child that the victim was carrying.
The involvement of Cyambogo residents in killing the Tutsis at Nyange church, Nsibo cellule
As the group selected to invade the church had failed on 14 April, a considerable force was
mobilised, composed of interahamwe militiamen from all the sectors of Kivumu and those
from the neighbouring communes of Rutsiro in Kibuye and Kibilira and Satinsyi in Gisenyi.
Among the residents of Cyambogo cellule who participated on 15-16 April, were Joseph
Mutabaruka, at liberty; Evariste Singuranayo, at liberty; Théoneste Ushizimpumu, now dead;
Joseph Habiyambere, the judge who was the head of the district court, in detention in Gisovu
prison; Anastase Rushema in Kibuye prison; Jean Marie-Vianney Habarugira, in Kibuye
prison; Birarura, in prison; and Ndamyabera, in Kibuye prison. As Cyambogo cellule is very
near Nsibo—where Nyange church was and where the carnage raged from 15 to 16 April—it
became a corridor through which a lot of unknown militiamen passed before reaching their
target. Some of them stopped over to search the forests and make sure there were no refugees
there, for example refugees from Ndaro sector. They did a general search of all the bushes
and forests in Cyambogo on 15 April before midday. Only Mukahigiro from Zegenya cellule
was found. She managed to buy her life with a 500 francs note and the interahamwe forced
her to go back to her home cellule. They then joined the other people at the church waiting to
kill.
Abuses committed after the slaughter at Nyange church
Some Tutsis, especially a few girls, the wounded and others that the gendarmes had taken
hostage inside the residences of the priests to use for their sexual satisfaction, were taken into
Nyange health centre, in Cyambogo. They were under the guard of the policemen, Adrien
Niyitegeka and Télésphore Munyantarama. On 27 April, they were killed in Kayitare forest
by Niyitegeka and Munyantarama, who are both now in Kibuye prison; the IPJ, Kayishema,
in exile; two interahamwe from Kabaga; Félix Abineza, alias Munyoni; and Jean Nkomeje
from Zegenya, now deceased.
Towards the end of April, a gang of interahamwe, among them Ndindabo alias Kanyarengwe,
now dead and Pierre Munyampirwa, also dead, captured a woman named Mukamusoni
between Ruhago’s house and Ndaro. We don’t know where she was killed. Around 20 April,
they erected roadblocks to effectively control the movement of people, as the interahamwe
had just found out that there were some Tutsis who managed to escape the massacres in the
church. They took turns in manning them. They were under the control of Kayishema,
supported by reservists. They set them up at junctions, which is why Cyambogo had two
roadblocks, one at the entrance to the market, another at the place called Ku Cyapa.
Kayishema and Nyange’s councillor, Jean Marie-Vianney Habarugira, put up this roadblock.
The following interahamwe frequented them: Ntamugabumwe; Mathias, Mpambara’s son;
Karemera, Vincent’s son; Emmanuel Nzabahimana; Vincent; Saramende’s son; Rudakubana,
Cyrille’s son; Jean Nkurikiyinka, also Cyrille’s son; Kanyarengwe; Masekurume and
Muzungu. At the beginning of May the roadblock was exclusively manned by reservists:
Kabalisa; Faustin Uwariraye; Kavutse, Habimana’s son and Jean Bizimana, Pierre’s
grandson. The market roadblock, also set up on the orders of Kayishema, included
interahamwe from various cellules: Védaste Bishangari, from Cyambogo; Athanase
Nkurikiyinka, from Ndaro cellule, Ndaro sector; Emmanuel Ndebera, from Cyambogo; Félix
Abineza, Cyambogo; Jean Marie-Vianney Habarugira, Cyambogo; Christophe Mbakirirehe,
Nsibo; Esdras Ngendahayo, Cyambogo; Védaste Murangwabugabo, from Gakoma, in Kigali
sector; Martin Hitimana, Cyambogo; Athanase Rushema, Cyambogo; Adrien Niyitekega,
Zegenya; François Xavier Munyaneza from Ngugu, Ndaro sector. All the reservists and
6
commune policemen were armed with guns and grenades. Habiyambere had got a gun so as
to create panic among the people of Cyambogo by shooting in the air all night. The attackers
captured the following Tutsis who were hiding in the homes of Hutus.
Host families Victims

Kayitare Ntabyera’s three children
Idesbard An unknown person
Munyandinda Mukamuhindi
Nzabigerageza A woman and two children
Mutayomba Théodate Ruhindana
All those captured were led to Zegenya. The interahamwe threw them in the mass grave
nicknamed CND. Before going there, the interahamwe went through the roadblock at the
market where they showed their leader, Kayishema, the booty they had found. He was with
Ephrem Mukangahe and Nzabigerageza. The attackers included the following people:
Gashugi; Mbaraga; Mukeshimana; Munyampirwa; Ndindabo; Masekurume; Longine,
Rwabigwi’s son; Kabarira; Rudakubana; Jean Nkurikiyinka; Cyriaque, Gafuku’s son;
Munyankindi; Papias Manikuze. As well as these interahamwe from Cyambogo there was
Budoni, Alexis’ son, originally from Kigali sector and Alexis, Ananie’s son, from Kigali
sector. A few days later, Boniface Kabalisa and his colleagues captured a boy. Despite his
plea that he came from the family of Captain Makofe Nsengiyumva, he was taken to Zegenya.
He was thrown into the CND mass grave, after he was killed by a machete. That day, two
children from Paul’s house were stopped close to the roadblock by Hitabatuma, now dead,
Nsekerabanzi, deceased and Ndamyabera, in Kibuye prison. They murdered them in
Nyamiyugiri.
Faustin Uworinaniye described the large-scale search at the beginning of May.
Gashugi told us to meet in his bar. There we dealt with the question of the systematic search
for Tutsis who were being sheltered by Hutus. We drew up a long list of all the Hutu families
suspected of putting up inyenzi. The next day, the operation began. First we went to Fulgence
Kayishema’s house to get orders. The first raid was launched upon the Kagenza family where
an unknown child was captured. With a guarantee of money, the child wasn’t touched. From
there, we went to the family of Marie Mujawamariya where we found Innocent. The poor man
was immediately led away by Kanyarengwe, Masekurume and Longine to the mass grave,
CND, at Zegenya. The rest of us speeded up the work.
Kayitare’s family lived a few steps away. We discovered three little boys there, one
of whom escaped us. The two others were immediately led to CND. The operation continued
at the home of Idésibard Nkurunziza. The child hiding there went through a gap but a few
militiamen from our gang caught him and Faustin Niyitegeka took him to be executed alone at
Zegenya. Not far from there, we invaded Munyandinda’s family. An old woman was taken
from there and her destination was the mass grave at Zegenya. From there, we took the road
that crosses our cellule. When we got near Nzabirinda’s house, we met with the team we’d
just sent off to search Nkurikiyinka’s family.
Tireless, we attacked Nzabigerageza’s house where we found a woman and two

children. Their host was forced to pay a fine of a cow so that those captured would be taken to
CND, otherwise he would have to kill them alone with his own hands. The last raid was
against Mutayomba’s family, where we found Théodette. We also looted a cow there. The
victim was taken to the same mass grave.
In the evening, at the end of the operation, we slaughtered the two cows. A portion of
the cow was sold and each one of the militiamen received a 100-franc note in repayment for
the actions we’d just carried out. Among those involved I remember: Kayishema, the leader;
Boniface Kabalisa; Ephrem Mukangahe; Gashugi; Nsengiyaremye; Innocent Karangwa;
Mugwiza; Esdras Ngendahayo; Papias Manikuze; Innocent Nkurikiyintwari; Gaspard
7
Ryobere; Mukeshimana; Ndindabo, alias Kanyarengwe; Karemera; Faustin Niyitegeka;
Longine Muzungu; Masekurume; Cyriaque, Gafuku’s son; Munyampirwa; Gafurama;
Mbaraga; Vincent, Saramende’s son; Rukara and Kagwegwe.
After the killing of the Tutsis, there were arguments about their property, during which one
person died. Innocent Uwimana detailed what happened.
Towards the end of May, we went back to Isidore Birarura’s house, the responsable for
Cyambogo cellule. He was building a house on a plot of land belonging to his Tutsi
neighbour. We wanted to know why he was building houses first without distributing nice
patches of land to his followers who’d distinguished themselves in the killings. In reply, he
said that everyone had to fend for themselves, since the plots of Tutsis were scattered all over.
Suddenly we took our hoes and began to prepare the ground in Kamegeri’s plot, a Hutu
suspected of being a Tutsi. When she noticed, his wife went to warn him. Kamegeri reacted by
saying that once law and order returned to the country, he would reclaim his property. When
we heard this, we went back to the responsable to tell him about Kamegeri’s reaction.
Immediately Isidore authorised us to kill him. We took him to the ruins of Gashamayoro
where Muhizi felled him with a blow from a large stone.
A list of the leading génocidaires
According to the detainees, Cyambogo was the major centre; most of the planners of the
genocide, not only for that particular cellule, but also for the whole region, lived there. All the
decisions about the extermination of Tutsis were taken either in Cyambogo, in the
neighbouring cellule of Nsibo, or at the home of Father Seromba. The prisoners named the
following people as the leaders:
• Télésphore Ndungutse, the vice-president of the MRND. He is among the organisers

of the massacres at Nyange church. He was at the head of several attacks.
• Grégoire Ndahimana, the bourgmestre: he is among the planners of the genocide in
Cyambogo cellule and across the whole commune. He supplied the interahamwe with
ammunition. He also played a big role in rounding up Tutsis to go to Nyange church.
• The IPJ, Kayishema: he was at the forefront of all the attacks in Cyambogo, including
those that destroyed Nyange church. He also supervised the roadblocks in the cellule.
• Father Athanase Seromba: he went to the commune office to meet with the commune
authorities about the massacres perpetrated in Nyange and housed the girls that the
gendarmes raped.
• Gaspard Kanyarukiga: he participated actively in the meetings preparing the
massacres.
• Joseph Habiyambere, the head of the Kivumu district court. He is among the
organisers of attacks which wiped out the entire commune.
• Anastase Rushema, the right hand man of the bourgmestre and Father Seromba in the
preparations for the genocide in the region.
On 1 October 1990, the Hutus from Kibilira wanted to kill the Tutsis in Kivumu commune as
they had just done in their own area. The bourgmestre of Kivumu, Rwanzegushira,
energetically opposed this. He sent communal policemen to patrol the borders between
Kivumu and Kibilira. However, that didn’t stop suspicions among the peasants. This was how
Aloys Rwamasirabo, one of the interviewees, came to be taken as an accomplice of the
inkotanyi. He was unjustly accused of having hidden, under his roof, enough petrol to burn
down the houses of Hutus. He was imprisoned among the accomplices of the inyenzi along
with Damien Tuganishuri. This anti-Tutsi hatred was fomented by the assistant bourgmestre,
Anastase Rushema; the medical assistant nicknamed Rwanyonga, whose whereabouts we
don’t know; and Potien Zihabake, deceased. “At this time the deputy préfet of Birambo came
8
accompanied by the deputy public prosecutor to ask me for petrol,” emphasises Aloys
Rwamasirabo. He said:
I left with them but when we reached half way, I learned that this amount of petrol had been
loaded up and taken away by those who came to carry out a search of my house. So I was
immediately taken to Kivumu commune to be locked up there. My car was also stationary at
the commune office during my imprisonment. After a week, the two officials who had taken
me subjected me to an interrogation. I replied in this way: “As the war has just broken out, I
thought there’d be a fuel shortage. So I stocked up with a sufficient quantity.” I continued,
pointing out to them that if I intended to harm the Hutus, I wouldn’t keep this fuel on the main
road but would hide it discreetly in the rural areas. To back up what I said, I revealed that
before 1 October, Rushema, who’d run out of petrol, had come and asked me to lend him
some and I’d done so voluntarily. Why did he not say then that this petrol was there to burn
the houses of Hutus? After analysing what I’d said, and seeing that the motive for my arrest
was unfounded, I was released after seven days in prison.
Feelings were strained because some Hutus wanted to loot the Tutsis’ cattle. In reality
relations between Tutsis and Hutus weren’t at all good after the RPF attack. For instance,
Faustin Mushongore, a Tutsi, was killed by Murindanyi and his companions with a machete,
on the pretext that his son, Gapira Majariwa, had joined the inkotanyi camp. Ethnic tensions
grew even worse when multipartyism was introduced. The MRND and the Coalition for the
Defence of the Republic (CDR) opposed the Democratic Republican Movement (MDR).
There was always a trial of strength between these political parties.
7 April and afterwards
The killings in Cyambogo didn’t begin immediately after Habyarimana’s death. This was due
to the fact that the commune office was situated there. In the other cellules in Nyange, Tutsis
were already dead by 10 April. That day, our bourgmestre, Grégoire Ndahimana, went to
Kibuye to a meeting called by the préfet, Clément Kayishema. As soon as he got back, he
called a meeting in his district on 11 April. All the assistants of the commune, the heads of
services, the commune staff and the councillors took part in this meeting. We don’t have an
account of this meeting. However, Aloys Rwamasirabo states:
Around 4:00 p.m., a letter was sent to me telling me that I should send a car to transport the
people responsible for taking on security at the Kivumu-Kibilira border. At 5:00 p.m., I told
them that I couldn’t drive them there. I feared for my own security moving around at a late
hour especially when there were four other vans which belonged to Hutus in our cellule which
were rarely used. I gave them my driver, called Jigoma. After this meeting on the 11th, around
5:30 p.m., some Tutsis died: Esther Mugiraneza and her son, Vincent Mutayomba as well as
Tharcisse Ndayitabi and his son, Gategabondo. These victims came from Nyamyungu,
Kivumu sector.
Attacks were launched in all sectors officially on 12 April. There were refugees there
from all around. In the meantime, the Tutsis from Murambi cellule had already died. We
buried them on 8 and 9 April. These victims were my nephews and members of the
Ndakubana family. On 12 April, my car was requisitioned and took Tutsis to Nyange parish.
These refugees were made to believe that they would be secure in the parish.
No Tutsis died in Cyambogo cellule before 16 April, the date when Nyange church was
demolished. They died at the parish on 15 and 16 April. We can name: Donat Nyabyera, her
daughter-in-law and two children; Rudakubana’s wife, Marthe Mukasona; Munyanshoza’s
wife and his four children; Edouard Bwacya; Julie, Edouard’s wife and his three children;
Paulin Mushongore; Emerthe, Paulin Mushongore’s sister-in-law; two children, Muzungu and
another whose name we don’t know; a girl named Adrienne; and five of Aloys
Rwamasirabo’s children—Espérance Mutesayire, Vestine Uwase, Jean Paul Mugabo, Aloysie
Ikirezi and Solange Ukundase. The survivors of the massacre at the church were finally
9
finished off in Cyambogo cellule. These were Cheline, Anglebert and a lot of others. There
was also a woman who died in the cellule—she had taken the road to Rubengera. The
detainee Sibomana, Habakurana’s son, was present at the time of the murder of this woman.
Certain victims died in other places. This was notably the case with Charles Kamegeli,
Innocent Gicumba and Espérance Mukamusoni.
During the killings these different personalities mentioned above were working together with
the trader, Gaspard Kanyarukiga. At the time of the massacres, there weren’t rivalries
between the different political parties. These important people had told the peasants to leave
aside the differences between the parties so as to combat the common enemy, the Tutsis, first.
They were also at the roadblocks, seeing how the peasants worked. Two roadblocks were
established in Cyambogo cellule after Habyarimana’s death: one at Ku Cyapa and the other at
Mutanoga market.
The houses of victims had been destroyed early on in the killings. The Tutsis took refuge at
the parish before the destruction of their houses, which began around 12 April. Sometimes the
vandals and killers used to meet up at the same place. They carried off tiles, bricks, doors, and
windows and used them for their buildings. They also took the cows; there were a lot of them
and its difficult to count how many. The looting was systematic. They didn’t leave anything
in the houses: not even foodstuffs, or the traditional stone used to crush sorghum. The
peasants harvested the crops left by victims. Fields of cassava, beans and sweet potatoes
weren’t spared. The looters were greedy; the bravest of them took the valuable things. Fields
went to génocidaires who had proven their bravery in the killings. These including the
following people: Isidore Biraruro, the cellule responsable, who lives in the cellule; Innocent
Karangwa, in Kibuye prison; Karemera, Vincent Niyonsaba’s son; Nkurikiyinka, detained in
Kibuye.
These people were behind the killings committed in Cyambogo:
• Fulgence Kayishema, IPJ, in exile;

• Assistant bourgmestre Mupenda, in Kibuye prison;
• Interim assistant bourgmestre, Kanani;
• Boniface Kabalisa, in Mulindi prison;
• Joseph Habiyambere, a judge in the district court; in prison in Gitovu;
• Félicien Kanyamashyamba, an agronomist, in prison in Kibuye;
• Béatrice Mukankusi, a teacher, she used to be at the roadblock.
All these people were present at meetings. There were others who never missed meetings, like
Ephrem Mukangahe, who is in exile and Grégoire Nzabigerageza, who lives in the cellule.
2.2 Kanyinya Cellule
The area which used to be called Kanyinya cellule, has since been divided administratively
into two parts, Kanyinya cellule and Muganza cellule.
Kanyinya
According to prisoners, there were only four Tutsi families in Kanyinya. There were also
other mixed families. After Habyarimana’s death, a lot of Tutsis from Nyange sector took
refuge in the church. Those from Kanyinya went there on 12 and 13 April because of the
violence across the neighbouring cellules, especially Vungu and Nsibo. Like the Tutsis from
other regions, most of those from Kanyinya died between 15 and 16 April when Nyange
10
church was demolished by the bulldozers of ASTALDI (the large Italian road construction
company). The victims were: Asia Kambabazi; Théobald Mbabariye; Etienne Nsengayire;
Eugène Gakaka’s wife and her three children; Nkaka’s wife and her two children; Annonciata
Mukamusoni, Murara’s wife and her three children; Vénantie Kambabazi and her two
children.
On 14 April, Kanyinya saw the first invasion of the interahamwe from Vungu and Shyogi—
including Ndamyabera, now in Kibuye prison, Antoine Barigira and Elias Ndayambaje at the
head. On their way to Gisiza, they met up with Tharcisse Sanani, who’s free. With the
complicity of this man, the militia discovered a group of Tutsis from Vungu, hidden at
Magera’s house. So the group divided in two. One took the captured people to Vungu to kill
them, while the other stayed in Kanyinya searching the houses where they suspected there
were Tutsis originally from Vungu. Conspiring with Védaste, they killed Kageruka, who was
at Donat Twagiramungu’s house.
The murder of Tutsis in Kanyinya began just after the demolition of Nyange church. On 16
April, at 3:00 p.m. a group led by Jean Tereraho arrived. They’d just taken part in the
massacre at the parish. First they murdered Léonard Ngabonziza. His elder brother
Karimunambwa was seriously wounded. Both were at home. As the family was rich, the
militia took away a lot of property, including more than 15 cows and a lot of goats, sheep,
pigs and so on. Their brother-in-law, Ruzungu, from Gasave sector, was among the invaders.
That day, assailants came from Kanyinya business centre led by François Rwakayiro, who is
free, and Balthazar Matabaro. They planned to murder Patricia Mukarutamu. Before agreeing
to this, the militiamen met others who were in the midst of taking off tiles from the house of
Fidèle Murara, Mukarutamu’s son. Together they launched a raid against the Mukarutamu
family. Patricia and her grandchild were clubbed to death by Matabaro. The victims were
buried on the spot. The following people were involved: Mageza, in Kibuye prison; Myavu,
in Kibuye prison; Gaspard Niyitegeka; Sylvère Munyensanga, at liberty; François Uwaleta, at
liberty; Emmanuel; Mutabazi, in exile; Nsekerabanzi, in exile. After the killings at
Mukarutamu’s, they continued the hunt for Tutsis. On the way, the interahamwe noticed the
old man Nkaka who was lying in the sun. They caught him and took him to his house, where
he was clubbed to death by Matabaro and Mutabazi. When the killers were taking in the fresh
air on the mountain plateau, one of them went slightly to one side to cut the grass. There he
discovered Bihangamanywa. Suddenly all the militiamen ran after him until they took his life
in a stream separating Nsibo and Kanyinya cellules.
Three days later, on the 19th or 20th, a raid was prepared in Kanyatsinda, Kanyinya, under the
guidance of Matabaro. They cut the throats of two of Donat’s children, whose hiding place
was exposed by Claude Kanonko, who is free. It was the gang of interahamwe who finished
off Karimunambwa. That day was terrible for the old man, Ngirabega. His execution was
carried out by militiamen from Kibanda sector, under Nzirorera’s lead. The murder took place
between Muganza and Kanyinya. The following interahamwe were involved: Bagiramenshi,
Bishangari’s son; Sebazungu; Ngerageza; Baturahenshi; Bantegeye and Bushashi, all of them
at liberty. Rwagizenkana also took part.
Most of the Tutsi women married to Hutus were killed in the last raid on Kanyinya hill. The
raid had been organised from Nsanza sector. It was composed of men from several regions,
including Bwakira commune, Kibilira commune and sectors of Kivumu commune.
Munyarushoka and Cyridion were the leaders. Among the victims were: Mbabariye’s wife;
Mukanyubahiro; Mukakimonyo; and two of Ngabonziza and Kangabe’s children.
The worst looting took place at the homes of Karimunambwa and Léonard. After they died,
their property was taken by the killers, including: 15 cows, a dozen goats, a dozen sheep, and
a dozen pigs. What’s more household things were taken and the houses were destroyed
11
afterwards. As many of the affected families were of mixed descent—intermarriage between
Hutus and Tutsis—it was easier for some of the property they reclaimed to be returned to the
surviving relatives.
Muganza
Muganza only had one Tutsi family, Kangabire’s. Three others were mixed. The plan to kill
them was organised towards the end of May when a decision was taken against Tutsi women
married to Hutus. The first family to suffer was that of Emmanuel Nzigiye where men from
Kabaga killed his wife. The second target was the Munyagakwisi family, Emmanuel’s
paternal uncle. The interahamwe killed the two people who had found refuge there. In the
surrounding bush, the militia murdered Kangabire, his daughter and two grandchildren. The
operation was led by several interahamwe from all over including some from Nyange sector,
among whom were: Sindabyemera, Munyaneza, Icyoyiremeye and Nsabimana, all detained in
Kibuye.
The last victims were two of Karemangingo’s nephews. They were killed on 30 May. They
were at Karemangingo’s house and their hiding place was exposed by their uncle,
Karemangingo’s elder brother. The killers included: Samuel Ugirirabino; Védaste Sezibera,
both at liberty; Isaїe Sindabyemera, in Kibuye prison.
Kanyinya
12 April 1994 was an unforgettable date in the history of the genocide in our cellule. It was
then that the worst crackdown took place. Until then, the residents had remained united.
Unfortunately the social fabric was torn up by the supporters of MDR. That day, a crowd of
génocidaires from Kivumu sector and Vungu cellule infiltrated Kanyinya and Vungu. We saw
Nzaramba, from Kanyinya; Ngarambe from Vungu, who died in Kibuye prison and
Nyabudogori, who died in Kivumu sector.
Certain Tutsi families from Vungu took refuge at Magera’s house in Kanyinya, after they’d
seen their cattle and property looted. There were eight refugees: Immaculée, Kanamugire’s
wife, now dead, and her children; Mrs Alexis and her two children; Winfred and her daughter,
Nyirangerageze.
During this time, the Tutsis from Vungu had begun taking refuge in Nyange. When they
noticed that the situation might deteriorate, their neighbours from Kanyinya made the same
choice. The first families to go were Mrs Eugène and her four children; Mrs Nkaka and her
four children; Annonciata Mukamusoni and her three children; Vénantie Kambabazi and her
children and Emerthe Mukakizima, Théobald’s wife.
On 14 April a group of killers from Vungu, including Elias Ndayambaje, in prison in Kibuye;
Hitabatuma, who died in prison and Antoine Barigira, who died in Kivumu commune
detention centre, came to kill the Vungu refugees. Subwanone, who was freed with the other
old people, distinguished himself in cutting their throats.
On 13 April, successive meetings to arrange a plan to eliminate the Tutsis went on in the
Kanyatsinda business centre during the night. The people who went there most often were:
Jean Marie-Vianney, Nyange councillor, from Vungu cellule; Canisius Karemangingo, the
cellule responsable, now dead; André Nzamwita, alias “Kimaranzara”, now a refugee;
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Athanase Rwabukamba, now a refugee; Boniface Nzaramba, Gérald Mageza, and Jean
Ushizimpumu and Edouard Ntaganda, alias “Uwakigeli”, all in prison in Kibuye.
On 16 April, at around 3:00 p.m., the time at which the destruction of Nyange church was
completed, many killers divided themselves into groups to go and round up a few Tutsis who
were scattered around Nyange sector. Kanyinya was invaded by killers led by Jean Tereraho.
During this invasion, Léonard Ngabonziza lost his life and his older brother Karimunambwa
was seriously wounded. The family were wealthy. That is how the killers had the time to loot
as they pleased: more than 15 cows, 20 goats, a dozen sheep, several pigs and a lot of
household goods. They came from many areas, notably the interahamwe from Kibilira and
Rutsiro communes as well as a large crowd of people from Nyange sector. That day, Patricia
Mukarutamu and her two grandchildren were killed. There were a lot of assailants, including:
Mageza, the leader of the gang and his younger brother, Rubyagira, who escaped from
Kibuye prison, and many others Three days later, another gang of militiamen went to the
home of Mukantaganzwa, Donat’s mother. When they had killed four of Donat’s children,
they went to finish off Karimunambwa. Those involved were: Jean Ushizimpumu, Anicet
Sendegeya, in prison in Kibuye; Gaspard Niyitekega, deceased; Emmanuel Serubibi, who
died in Kibuye prison; Matabaro, who escaped from Gisovu prison; Rubyagira, Matabaro’s
younger brother, in exile; Damien Myavu, in Kibuye prison, Mugabo, who is out of the
country and Nsekerabanzi, a refugee.
Around mid-May, the mixed families were blacklisted. All the Tutsi women married to Hutus
were supposed to die. The plan was formulated by: Boniface Nzaramba; Gérald Mageza;
Edouard Ntaganda; Ushizimpumu; and Rwabukamba. In connivance with the militia from
Nsanza, Rukoko sectors and those from Bwakira commune, they systematically wiped out the
families of Hutus with Tutsi wives. Here are the names of those they eliminated: Caritas
Bamurange, Mathias Mbabariye’s wife; Gertrude Mukanyubahiro, Kanonko’s wife; Anathalie
Kangabe, Gérald Karambizi’s wife; Drocella, Charles Uwimana’s wife. They also killed two
of Ngabonziza’s children. They also sought Sezibera’s wife, but she wasn’t there. The killers
went back through Nsibo cellule, where they continued killing. The next day the militia still
aimed to go back, but their plan was derailed by the IPJ Kayishema from Vungu cellule
because they wanted to kill his mother-in-law. Another victim who had come from Mwendo
commune died in Kanyinya. This was Marie, Uzabakiriho’s wife. Her torturers were:
Emmanuel Serubibi; Bikorimana, at liberty; Uwiragiye; Aloys Uwayiremeye, a refugee; and
Habarurema.
After the loss of human life, the looting and destruction of houses began. This was systematic
at Léonard Ngabonziza and Karimunambwa’s house. The homes of Eugène Gakaka,
Landouard Nkaka, Patricia Mukarutabana, Etienne Nsengayire and Murara were also
destroyed.
Muganza
Violence began here with the plan to murder Tutsi women married to Hutus. To accomplish
that, attackers from Kabaga went to Emmanuel Nzigiye’s house and took his wife from him.
Then they arrived at the home of Munyagakwisi, Emmanuel’s paternal uncle and killed two
children hiding there. The interahamwe proceeded with their plan of searching for Tutsis in
the bush and killed an old woman named Kangabire, her daughter and her two grandchildren.
Then they went to the homes of the victims and stole a cow. That day the militia invaded
Murengera’s family. They killed a child there and looted a goat. Among the militiamen were:
Icyoyiremeye; Sindabyemera; Munyaneza, and Nsabimana, all in Kibuye prison.
On 30 May 1994, a group of killers laid a trap for Karemangingo’s family. With the
complicity of his elder brother the interahamwe killed his two nephews. They took five goats,
13
a hoe and a machete. The attackers included: Faustin Safari; Samuel Ugirirabino; Jean Marie
Vianney Rekeraho; Isaїe Sindabyemera.
2.3 Murambi Cellule
Murambi cellule borders on Zegenya and Vungu cellules and Kigali and Kivumu sectors in
Budaha. Just before the beginning of the massacres, around 23 Tutsi families lived in
Murambi.
When the inkotanyi attacked, on 1 October 1990 and the Hutus in Kibilira, Gisenyi, began
killing the Tutsis there, Kivumu commune was nearly affected. Luckily, Kivumu’s
bourgmestre at the time, Juvénal Rwanzegushira, hurried the commune police to the border of
Kibilira and Kivumu to prevent the eventual onslaught from Kibilira. However, a Hutu named
Ndungutse wanted to take advantage of the war to be aggressive towards his Tutsi neighbour,
Grégoire Ndakubana. This was just two days after the start of the October war. Ndakubana
went to the commune office with some of his children to ask for help and refuge. He spent the
night there. The bourgmestre sent a policeman to this cellule to check on security. This man
was called Munyantarama, and is now dead. When he arrived he noted that it was totally
secure. Given that the bourgmestre had ordered the policeman to shoot in the air if he met
people trying to disrupt security, it was one way of pointing out to the troublemakers that
people in charge of public order were present. Munyantarama did his job. When he got back
he told the bourgmestre that the situation was calm. That was why the bourgmestre told
Ndakubana to go back to his house. The next day, the bourgmestre held a meeting where he
gathered together everyone in Murambi cellule. The aim was to safeguard security. He
pointed out to people that they mustn’t follow in the footsteps of the people in Kibilira who
had just committed terrible crimes against the Tutsis. Meetings of this kind were organised in
other sectors of Kivumu commune. As Ndungutse and Ndakubana were the most well-off
people in our cellule it seems that they had become rivals. In any case they didn’t get on.
The bourgmestre, who had a degree in Physics, couldn’t continue to run the commune as he
was appointed to the Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (IRST), where he
worked until 1994. He was replaced by Grégoire Ndahimana. He was the one who led the
commune until the time of the genocide.
7 April 1994 was marked by barbarous acts. It was just after the announcement of President
Habyarimana’s death. The information was spread by Radio Rwanda. On the morning of the
7th, Ndungutse went into nearly every Hutu’s home to announce that President Habyarimana
was dead. He said that Tutsis were behind his death. For that reason he said that Hutus
should take revenge. Ndungutse was an influential man in Kivumu. In 1979-1980, he was the
Kibuye district inspector. In 1994, he was both a teacher at the Kigali centre scolaire, vice
president of MRND in Kivumu and president of the administrative council of the bank, the
Kivumu banque populaire. He also did some trading.
On the morning of 7 April, he asked certain Hutus to attack Ndakubana’s family. We

categorically refused, saying that we knew what that had cost us at a time when we were all
going to be decimated. Ndungutse went to the commune office in person without having got
the consent of the population. He came back in the afternoon. He organised the Hutus that
he’d found in the centre of Karuteye. He told them that the commune administration had
decided that the Tutsis must die. He showed them the keys of the gun shop. He added that the
police would not have a chance to save Tutsis because they had been disarmed. Alfred
Ruzirabwoba was on the spot. He said that a Tutsi named Innocent Kamanzi, who now lives
14
in Gitarama, wanted to know what was going on and Ndungutse asked him why he was still
alive.
On the night of 7 April, Ndungutse led an attack against Ndakubana’s family. The leaders
were Innocent Tuyisenge and Gakwisi who are both in exile. The others who took part were:
Alfred Ruzirabwoba, in detention in Kibuye; Anselme Ndagijimana, imprisoned in Kibuye;
Valens Rutayisire, who is at home; Anastase Gasarasi, who lives in our cellule; Fidèle
Habintwari, detained in Kibuye. These five people were from Nyange sector. But there were
also some from Ndaro sector: Laurent Uzabakiriho, in exile; Batari, abroad; Nzabagerageza,
in prison in Kibuye; Augustin Uzabakiriho, in exile; Didace Habyarimana, deceased; Elias
Habiyakare, deceased; Byavugabandi, he lives in the cellule; Baruhenkuyu, in exile;
Kamanzi, in exile; Bashimiryayo, deceased; Nibakure, deceased.
We were armed with machetes. When we reached Ndakubana’s house, his boys and other
Tutsis who had rallied around them chased us away. We returned to tell Ndungutse that we
had been beaten. He went to ask for reinforcements from Ndaro sector. The people in this
sector responded massively and were under the leadership of Laurent Hategekimana and
Télésphore Nzabagerageza, nicknamed “Rukoko,” who is detained in Kibuye prison. The
people from Ndaro sector had brought torches. When these reinforcements arrived, we
neutralised the Tutsis who had gathered at Ndakubana’s home. Some of them fled while
others remained inside the house. Before going into the enclosure, we demolished the fence.
We were under the overall command of Ndungutse and there were three prongs to the attack.
Murambi cellule had been divided into three zones and each one of the gangs had a zone to
control. The north part was led by Habyarimana, nicknamed “Runombe” and François-
Xavier Kayitare. The centre was led by Innocent Tuyisenge, in exile and Gakwisi, while the
south was led by Védaste Habiyakare nicknamed “Kavara,” who is at home. Inside
Ndakubana’s house were his daughter-in-law, Théodosie Uwimana, and her three children
and his other grandson called Théodore Ngaboyishema. Ruzirabwoba was part of this assault
team and he explained what happened.
I went into the house from the side where the cows stayed and I made Théodore come out.
Once outside Ngabirinda and I knocked him out. Ndakubana himself had died in a traffic
accident in 1993. His wife had also died before the genocide due to illness. The others inside
the house were killed by Laurent Hategekimana, in exile, and Télésphore Nzabagerageza.
Others were taken from the house and killed and the place was strewn with their bodies. They
were buried the next day on the orders of certain commune authorities including Fulgence
Kayishema, the IPJ, Joseph Habiyambere, the judge, and a policeman, Munyantarama. During
the funeral, Ndakubana’s son named Epimaque Rurasire asked the judge and the IPJ how it
was possible to bury the bodies of the victims without holding an inquiry when it was
apparent that the victims had been killed with machetes. They replied that it was not even
known who killed the President of the Republic and that as a result we should bury people
known as “dogs” without comment and without further ado. They then asked him who he
thought had killed his loved ones. He replied that it was definitely Télésphore Ndungutse. As
proof, he showed them pieces of the cracked cement that had been taken from his house and
used to kill the victims. The bodies of victims were buried with dignity. Kayishema and
Habiyambere were accompanied by Habarugira, Nyange’s councillor, currently in prison, and
Célestin Bakunzibake, Murambi’s responsable, now dead. They had come on board an
ambulance. That day, a lot of Tutsis abandoned their homes.
The burial took place on 8 April. The bodies of Ryumugabe and Théodosie
Ngaboyishema were buried. The others who were seriously wounded were driven to Nyange
clinic by Aloys Rwamasirabo. He is a Tutsi who survived the genocide and is a shopkeeper in
Nyange. Théodosie was Rwamasirabo’s niece. When the killings were at their height, the
injured took refuge in Nyange church and were executed there.
On 9 April, seven Tutsis belonging to the Abaha clan were massacred. The next day local
officials came to attend the funerals. A lot of the victims’ relatives had already taken refuge in
15
Nyange parish and they were summoned to attend the burials of their loved ones. Two
policemen, Munyantarama and Matyabire, as well as the Murambi cellule responsable
Bakunzibake, went to bring them. A hole was dug and the bodies dumped, then soil was
thrown on top. The survivors from this hill were also present. Here are the names of those
killed: Mukaruzindana and hwe son, Nzahabwanimana; Epiphanie Kantengwa, her daughter,
Nyiraneza and son Ndilima; Murwanashyaka; and Nyiranyamibwa. Among the perpetrators
were: Alfred Ruzirabwoba, who looted a cow; Emmanuel Nzabahimana; Fidèle Habintwali;
Augustin Turatsinze Sagahutu, in prison; Riberakurora, in prison; Evariste Rutayisire, in
prison; Martin Bucyana, at home; Baruhenkuyu, in exile; Bizavugabandi, at home; Innocent
Tuyisenge, in exile; Gakwisi, in exile; Habyarimana nicknamed “Runombe,” in exile;
Ndagijimana, nicknamed “Rukara,” deceased, from Vungu; Rugondo, deceased, from
Kivumu sector; Dawurimwijuru, at home; Gatoya, in Gisovu prison; Gasarasi, at home;
Etienne Nyabyenda who escaped from prison; Sibomana, deceased; Anselme Ndagijimana, in
Kibuye prison; Mazimpaka, nicknamed Rutwe, at liberty in Gitarama; Ndagijimana, at home;
and Donatha Kamondo, in Kibuye prison. The following evening, a policeman named Adrien
Niyitegeka, in Kibuye prison, heard the shouts of people in Kigali sector. He went to ensure
their security. He shot in the air and the people destroying the houses fled.
On 10 April, roadblocks were erected on the border of Kigali sector and Murambi cellule.
This was between 6:00 to 6:30 a.m. Present at the roadblocks were Tharcisse Liberakurora,
Bashimiryayo and Valens Rutayisire. The Tutsis who were going by on their way to mass
were badly brutalised. The Kigali sector councillor, Callixte Niyibizi, was trying to protect
them. Up until that day, in his sector, only one Tutsi named Thomas Mwendezi had been
assassinated; he died on 8 April. He used to live in Bugabe cellule. His killers were arrested
the following day, then released on 11 April by the commune authorities.
Also on 10 April, the Tutsis’ cows began to be slaughtered. Ndakubana’s cow was the first to
be slaughtered and it was handed over by Ndungutse to the group led by Kavara. Previously,
they used to stop us carrying out our everyday activities and kept encouraging us, instead, to
massacre Tutsis. Another slaughtered cow belonging to Rwakayiro, now dead, was given to
Tuyisenge’s group which also obtained the cow which belonged to Mucunguramfizi. His
heifer was sold for 6000 francs to Sasira, from Kibanda, who is now dead. Ndungutse had
become a real salesman of victims’ property and he kept the money himself. The fourth cow
slaughtered belonged to Kayigi, now dead. Runombe’s group ate it. When they shared the
meat, everyone got a piece depending on their strength. There were even some looters who
profited from the booty taken by another group. Sometimes people would come back empty-
handed because only the bravest were capable of getting a share. By 10 April, nine Tutsis had
been killed. Ndungutse ordered that the Tutsis’ cows be stolen, their houses looted and
destroyed. From this day on, the killings began during the day; previously they had taken
place at night. The following people were killed: Nkubana; Kazakura, Gaёtan’s son;
Mfuruta’s child, originally from Ndaro; Mutsiri; Kalisa, his three children and nephew; two of
Mukaroni’s children; two of Kagurube’s grandsons; Mukashyaka; Sekamana; three
unidentified girls; Caroline, Madame Nkomeje; Eugène, from Kigali sector; Mrs Mudende;
Seburimbwa; Muhire; Gakwasi, a child who stayed at Kambanda’s house; two unknown
children who died in Mukabasebya’s field; Sinzabakwira, who died in Hakuzimana and was
killed by Rukara with Ndagijimana and four soldiers from Nyange; Vérédiane Mukambuguje.
Apart from these victims, there was another person that Claude Nsanzabaganwa admits
having killed.
On 11 April, we took a break. This was a chance to drink beer bought for us that day by
Ndungutse. On 12 April, we went to hunt the Tutsis who had taken refuge in Kigali sector,
Gakoma cellule, bordering on our own. We had thrown stones at them. The people from this
sector had asked us to come and help them. They blew whistles, saying that Thomas
Rwamasirabo who had a Hutu wife, Ruzirabwoba’s sister, had thrown a grenade at the Hutus.
We were also told that the grenade had caused deaths and that Innocent Tuyisenge, Innocent
16
Gakwisi and Athanase, nicknamed “Rugondo” were the victims. But this was not true. When
we arrived in Kigali sector, we fought with around seven Tutsis. They beat us and forced us to
withdraw. We went back home. Afterwards the same whistles began and this time, the people
said that their sector had just been attacked by inyenzi. They had captured a Tutsi named
Eugène Nsanzimfura. They cut his throat that night in Murambi. Venant Kaganantagara, now
in Kibuye prison, was the person who blew the whistles.
On 13 April, the cellule responsable went to bring Tutsis who’d taken refuge in Nyange
parish. These were Ngiriyeze’s children. He had changed his ethnicity from Tutsi to Hutu
because of the events of 1959. On Thursday 14 April, Kayishema, and Théomodir, nicknamed
“Kiragi”, came to Karuteye’s office on board a vehicle they’d stolen from Aloys
Rwamasirabo. They’d installed loudspeakers on it. Kayishema, with the help of the
loudspeakers, urged the people to go and help Nyange parish because, he said, it had been
invaded by inyenzi. He went round the whole sector repeating the same slogans. He said that
anyone who didn’t respond to his appeal would be punished or his or her house would be
destroyed. He told Ndungutse that no one was authorised to do anything until the problem of
the inyenzi had been dealt with.
Niyitegeka and Niyonzima—Ngiriyeze’s son—came from the parish and told our gang that
we could confront the Tutsis who were at the parish despite their high number. When we
arrived at Nyange, the gendarmes who were there told us that there were too few of us and as
a result it would be difficult, even impossible, to challenge the refugees when their number far
exceeded our own. They told the Tutsis to defend themselves and they threw stones at us. We
didn’t manage to fight back. The gendarmes were there only as observers. After this
confrontation, our gang retreated. There were about 200 of us while there were more than
2000 refugees. The people of Nyange came to witness these events. When we got back we
decided to return the next day. Along the road, we met a trader from Kigali called Gaspard
Kanyarukiga, who was originally from Kivumu. He told us that a force must be established to
kill the Tutsis in Nyange church. He said that their relatives, the inkotanyi, had come to free
them and that later they would wipe out the Hutus. He specified that the inkotanyi had already
arrived in Mushubati commune. We were with: Habintwari, in prison; Ruzirabwoba, in
prison; Gasarasi, at home; Valens Rutayisire, at home; Anselme Ndagijimana, in prison; Elias
Habiyakare, now dead; Innocent Gakwisi, in exile; Turatsinze Sagahutu, in prison; Tharcisse
Liberakurora, at home; Innocent Tuyisenge, in exile; Baruhenkuyu, in exile; Bashimiryabo,
deceased; Didace Habyarimana, deceased; Nibakure, deceased; Mazimpaka, in exile; Gaspard
Habiyaremye, at home; Ndagijimana Rukara, deceased; Jean-Paul Nyirimbuga, deceased; and
Vedaste Ndagijimana, deceased.
On 15 April at 9:00 a.m., nearly a third of the Hutu population of Kivumu was present at
Nyange parish. They had come to confront the Tutsis taking refuge there. Ndungutse,
Kayishema, the bourgmestre, Gaspard Kanyarukiga, the judge, Joseph Habiyambere and the
gendarmes mentioned above met with Father Athanase Seromba within the parish enclosure.
They continued their meeting in the house used by CODECOKI, the Kivumu development
cooperative. After the meeting, they left and came to tell us that the people inside the parish,
whom they called inyenzi, must be massacred. It was the bourgmestre himself who said these
words. They gathered stones and began throwing them into the crowd of Tutsi refugees. The
gendarmes told the refugees to find a way to defend themselves. The Tutsis retaliated
effectively and once again we were forced back. What saved us was that Rukara intervened,
throwing at least three grenades into the crowd. As many of them were beginning to give up,
some chose to go inside the priests’ houses. Rushema, who was a teacher at Kivumu
secondary school in Rugasari, went to bring the caterpillar bulldozer from the ASTALDI
society. It was driven by a Zairian named Maurice, and Mitima drove a lorry. They had the
idea of transporting the victims’ remains and throwing them in the river. But they thought that
this was hard work because the number of bodies was incalculable, so much so that they
couldn’t transport them. They chose to bury them instead. They dug three mass graves with
17
the help of the machine and threw the bodies in. To bury them, the bodies were loaded into
the lorry. After this task, they used guns and arrows to kill the survivors who remained in the
church. This time, in addition to the gendarmes who were there, the communal police and
reservists intervened. Among the policemen were Rangira, detained in Kibuye;
Munyantarama; Matyabire, now dead; and Niyitegeka. The reservists included Kabalisa and
Rukara. We don’t know where they are.
The use of firearms allowed the civilian population to go inside the church so as to kill the
refugees. They threw in dynamite. Seeing that they didn’t get the expected result, the
génocidaires brought around five litres of petrol. Théodomir provided it, bringing it in his car.
Nibareke, helped by Faustin Uwarinaniye, used a watering can to fling it into the crowd. They
used banana leaves to help the petrol light easily. As it was late, we didn’t manage to finish
what we had begun. We decided to leave and to return the next morning. The people of
Kibilira, who had come to help us on Ndungutse’s orders, remained at the parish. The
commune authorities promised them a cow to slaughter that night and they kept their promise.
Very early on the morning of the 16th, we returned to Nyange. We found the church shut
except for a few holes from grenade explosions. Nonetheless it was surrounded by fires lit by
the people of Kibilira. The bourgmestre was the first to take the lead, shooting in the church.
He was helped by the gendarmes. First they smashed down the doors and windows of the
church. People threw stones in. The Tutsis’ had put up a strong resistance so much so that the
authorities again sought the support of the bulldozers used the day before. The final solution
was to demolish the church completely. The drivers who had worked the day
before─Maurice, Albert Mitima and Anastase Nkinamubanzi─set to work again. They began
with the side bordering the main road from Gitarama to Kibuye. Father Seromba had told
them to demolish it as in future they would rent machines to level where they were going to
build the diocese. The génocidaires completely destroyed the church and the Tutsis perished
there. Those who tried to get out were killed by civilians using traditional weapons like
machetes. The bodies were loaded onto machines and transported to the graves they had dug.
We returned to our respective cellules on 17 April and had a village party. We drank banana
beer which had come from the Tutsis’ fields. The first beer was drunk at Kanyeshyamba’s
home. The second time we drunk beer at Kanyeshyamba’s again, and finally, it was at
Ngirababyeyi’s. What followed was the destruction of the Tutsis’ houses. Previously we had
taken the roofs off. You really needed strength to get tiles, otherwise you’d come back empty-
handed. Those who managed to find tiles quickly used them to build their own houses. After
looting came the destruction. It was as if people weren’t sleeping because they got up very
early in the morning. The principal targets were cows. Secondly, the looters hurried to seize
the tiles, doors and windows. They didn’t leave the walls intact; they were also demolished.
In May, the Hutu women married to Tutsis were afraid of seeing their children killed before
their eyes. They decided to take them to their maternal grandparents. The belief that it was
necessary to kill mixed children had come from the displaced people who were searching for
inkotanyi. They told us that these people were killing Hutus. It was after we’d heard this
suggestion that we saw Ndungutse with guns. He had five of them and one of his own.
Védaste Matusaremu had one of these weapons. These guns were used, amongst other things,
to kill the children born of Hutu mothers and Tutsi fathers. They were also used to control the
roadblocks. These roadblocks had been set up after the massacre in Nyange under the orders
of Ndungutse and Kayishema. However, Ndungutse asked for money from these Hutu women
to protect their children. He went back on his promise when the displaced people searching
for inkotanyi arrived in Nyange. Ndungutse had a plan to attack Higiro’s family, a Hutu who
had a Tutsi grandson. With his supporters he went to tell the bourgmestre that there were
inkotanyi at Higiro’s who had rifles to protect themselves. Ndungutse implemented his
macabre plan because he immediately attacked the Higiro family and the children targeted
were assassinated. The same day, seven other Tutsis were killed. The next day a woman
18
called Christine Mukashyaka was killed by assailants led by Ruzirabwoba. This attack
claimed the lives of Blandine’s two children. They were buried at Kagurube’s, who is now
deceased.
In general the bodies of victims were buried in anti-erosion ditches. Another grave held at
least three people. The principal arms used in the massacre of Tutsis were clubs and
machetes. Women and girls weren’t raped.
Women didn’t play a large part in the genocide, except for Mukagahima and Mukarwego who
slit the throat of a man who had taken refuge at their house. The rest of the women only
harvested crops which were still in the fields.
When the inkotanyi invaded the country, in Kibilira, Gisenyi, Tutsis were killed and their
houses burned. We were lucky because our bourgmestre, Juvénal Rwanzegushira, fought to
prevent such acts of vandalism. He had just been appointed to the post a couple of days before
the inkotanyi attacked. He vehemently defended his commune with the help of his policemen.
The police from Kivumu commune were gathered all along the commune border to oppose
the eventual incursions, which might have come from Gisenyi. The Tutsis from our commune
weren’t attacked because of the bravery and humanity of the new bourgmestre.
At the time of multipartyism in 1993, the supporters of two large political parties fought.
These were:
• MRND, represented by Télésphore Ndungutse and the president of the local militia.
He was assisted by Jean Baptiste Kagenza, the primary school inspector.
• MDR, which we baptised “Rukokoma,” represented by Jean Kayitare. He was a

peasant in whom everyone had confidence and showed extreme reverence towards.
This was explained by the fact that at the time of Grégoire Kayibanda’s government,
he was the Rwandese ambassador to Belgium or Germany.
Each political party sought to gain mass popularity at all costs. The leaders gave out
clothes like hats with the aim of getting lots of supporters. MRND went so far as to ask
for 50 francs from each supporter to buy a party card.
Before the genocide began, there were warning signs of a disastrous situation. To that
end, young people were going to Kigali to get military training. We learned that the
commune and school authorities were holding meetings either at the commune office or
at Nyange parish. The bourgmestre, the assistant bourgmestres, certain commune
employees, councillors and teachers took part in these meetings. They were held with
great discretion so that we, the ordinary people, couldn’t be invited there. When the
massacres began, we realised that the aim of these meetings was none other than to
eliminate the Tutsis. Among those involved were:
• Grégoire Ndahimana, bourgmestre of Kivumu commune;

• Father Seromba, priest of Nyange parish;
• Télésphore Ndungutse, a teacher who lived in our cellule. He was the one who killed
and arranged the killings of the Tutsis in our cellule; and
• Védaste Mupenda, assistant bourgmestre in Kivumu commune.
19
Nearly all the residents of the cellule knew about President Habyarimana’s death on the
morning of 7 April. The radio called upon people to remain calm and stay in their houses.
Gatherings were forbidden, but this wasn’t the case for Hutus in our cellule. They walked
around without any problems. The teacher Télésphore Ndungutse patrolled the cellule with
some young people. We didn’t know that he was preparing to put an extermination plan, that
had been conceived long before, into action. The killers didn’t even wait for the space of a
single day to begin work. The hunt for Tutsis began immediately on the evening of 7 April.
During that night, they attacked Grégoire Ndakubana’s home and found the following people
there:
• Théodosie Uwimana, Ndakubana’s wife. She was beaten with machetes and went to
Nyange parish where she died soon afterwards;
• Ephrem Ndamyumugabe who died at the health centre later; and
• Théodore Ngaboyishema, killed with a machete on the spot.
The perpetrators were:
• Alfred Ruzirabwoba, in Kibuye prison;

• Faustin Ngabirinda, who lives in the cellule. He says that he is innocent of the
accusations against him;
• Valens Rutayisire, who pleads guilty to this main accusation against him.
The next day they hunted for men, not only in their homes, but in the fields and bushes. The
homes of Tutsis were immediately set alight and all their property looted. A lot of Tutsis took
the road to the parish that day where they were hoping to find asylum. The choice of Nyange
parish was not by chance. At the time of the inkotanyi attack in 1990, certain Tutsis from
Kibilira managed to escape a massacre since they’d taken refuge at the parish in the area.
Certainly their homes were destroyed but when calm was restored the authorities called upon
people to help Tutsis without shelter to build them again. This is one of the reasons why
Tutsis from Murambi went to Nyange parish.
On 9 April, men led by Télésphore Ndungutse pursued the Tutsis from the large Baha family
and killed seven people there: Epiphanie Kantengwa; Nyiraneza, Kantengwa’s daughter;
Emmanuel Ndirima; Joséphine Mukaruzindana and her daughter Rumende; Nyiranyamibwa,
alias Njyuguri; and Murwanashyaka. The survivors took refuge with the priests at Nyange
parish as had happened in 1959. They were immediately summoned to come and bury their
relatives. Three people came to bring them back from the parish. These were: Célestin
Bakunzibacye, the cellule responsable, now dead and Adrien Niyitegeka, alias “Maharamu,”
a communal policeman now in Kibuye prison. After the burial, they went back to the parish.
On 10 April and in the days that followed, the houses, which belonged to the Baha family,
were burned and their property was stolen. The livestock was taken by the bravest. After each
attack, the interahamwe came back with their booty. Seeing that there were plenty of cows,
they began to sell them to the people. The old man Adrien Uwiragiye, one of the
interviewees, bought one that the interahamwe had just looted from Suzanne Nyirabarera, a
Hutu woman married to a Tutsi. She had given them this cow to prevent them from killing her
children. But sadly the militiamen didn’t spare them; they were executed on 15 May.
Ndungutse had set up a committee responsible for selling the property of victims. Adrien had
bought this cow from this association for 10,000 francs. They celebrated by eating meat. The
interahamwe took any valuable property─chairs, tables, armchairs and mattresses, leaving
behind things of the lowest value for ordinary peasants. The produce from the fields went to
ordinary peasants, for instance, sweet potatoes, cassava and bunches of bananas.
20
The houses were completely destroyed. The tiles, windows and doors were taken by the
génocidaires. Ndungutse distributed the land owned by victims as he pleased. What’s more,
he took the lion’s share, monopolising the land which belonged to Ndakubana’s family. He
had demarcated this area to show people that it was his own property.
From 8 April, a lot of Tutsis came from all sectors to take refuge at Nyange parish. They
thought it was a place they could find shelter from persecution. When they arrived at the
parish, the refugees were left to themselves. Nonetheless, some individuals of good will put
their body and soul into bringing them something to eat. The villagers from the cellule carried
out this act of charity on the quiet for fear that they would be caught by Ndungutse’s militia.
He had ordered them to spy on everyone who might try to take provisions to the refugees at
the parish.
The meeting to prepare the massacre of the refugees took place at Nyange parish on 14 April.
The authorities never stopped coming and going to the parish. There were authorities from the
commune and other influential people from Kivumu commune, and businessmen, the most
well known being Gaspard Kanyarukiga; Ndungutse; the bourgmestre, Ndahimana;
Kayishema; Habiyambere; and Father Seromba. This meeting began upstairs in the presbytery
and continued at the Kivumu commune development cooperative, CODEKOKI. That day our
traditional weapons were taken from us and the people were forbidden to give us anything to
eat. Ndungutse went to the cellule to get the militia together. That was how the young people
from there were mobilised to prepare for the work planned for the next day. Ndungutse and
Kayishema came to transport the young people in Aloys Rwamasirabo’s vehicle, which
they’d taken from him forcibly. He was a much sought after Tutsi shopkeeper from the area.
On 15 April, the peasants knew what they would find at the parish. The councillor and the
responsables had already spread the message. The gendarmes, policemen, reservists, people
from Kibilira and civilians surrounded the place where the refugees were. A large crowd,
difficult to count, was present. They shot at the refugees and nearly half of them lost their
lives there. Some tried to escape but were immediately killed. Others were pursued in the
little parish forest. The bodies of victims were lying down in the parish courtyard. Those who
were shut in the church felt deep desolation. The génocidaires guarded it all night so that no
refugee could escape them.
On 16 April, the killers came back accompanied by peasants, armed with machetes, sticks,
spears and arrows. The refugees had shut the door of the church so that the génocidaires
couldn’t get in there despite firing their guns. They also threw grenades but didn’t manage to
kill all the refugees. The final solution was to bring the bulldozers to demolish the church.
The survivors and people from Murambi cellule called Charles Kagenza who was in the
church to testify. He said:
Father Seromba, Ndungutse, Kanyarukiga and some priests were upstairs in the presbytery
and watched how the militia threw grenades at us. When the bulldozers arrived, the driver
didn’t know that they were coming to destroy the church. It was Father Seromba who ordered
the driver Athanase Nkinamubanzi, from Kibilira, to destroy the church. He asked the priest:
“Father, is it true that you are ordering me to destroy this church?” And the priest replied:
“We Hutus are numerous and will build another one.”
The authorities and Father Seromba were upstairs. They watched us like spectators
during the demolition of the church. There were about 1000 of us in the church before its total
collapse.
After the atrocities committed at the parish, the killers pursued people who had escaped the
massacre at the parish and those who were related to Tutsis. The children with Tutsi fathers
and Hutu mothers were killed next. On 15 May the following people were killed: Kalisa,
21
Béatrice Musabwasoni’s husband; Mugiraneza; Mukandayisenga; Uwihoreye and
Nduwayezu. They were assassinated by a gang led by Xavier Kayitare, in the Congo, and
with the complicity of Ndungutse. The same day, a raid from Giseke in Gasave sector killed
some Tutsis whose mothers were Hutu. This was led by Nshingangabo, who has been
sentenced to life imprisonment in Kibuye. This same group killed Gakwere’s and Annonciate
Mukarusagara’s children—Nkubito, Muhayeyezu, Nshimiyimana and Dusabeyezu.
There are other victims who died in different places, either at the parish or in other cellules or
sectors. We can name: Mukabayisenga; Mukambuguje; Callixte Mazimpaka; Hakizimana;
Julie Mukampazimapaka; Uwababyeyi; Clarisse Ingabire; Marie Goreth Ufitinema;
Ntaganzwa; Tuyisenge; Mukamasabo; Innocent Rudende; Nyiramanenge and Mutagomwa.
The only large massacre was at Nyange parish. But the killers left victims at the scene of the
crime and often they threw them into toilets nearby. There was no mass grave in our cellule.
Also, other victims, including Annonciata’s four children, were thrown into the Nyabarongo
river. The weapons used most often in the killings were clubs and sticks. According to what
we’ve heard during the gacaca trials, at least 37 people died in the cellule. We don’t know the
number of victims who died elsewhere.
Ndungutse was the one who directed the meetings in the cellule. They were held at the bar
owned by Jean-Bosco Uwayezu, a teacher who is now in detention in Kibuye. There were two
roadblocks. One was near Ndungutse’s house, just beside the bars at Ku Karuteye. It was
guarded by Innocent Gakwisi, now in the Congo. The other was at Anicet Hakizimana’s near
the bars at Nyirabunoshi. It was watched over by Hakizimana who had a bar there, run by his
wife. The roadblocks had been set up with the aim of searching for inyenzi. If a Tutsi was
caught you can imagine the fate they suffered. If a Hutu was caught without an identity card,
they made him sit down on the ground and do little jobs for them like going to buy drinks or
taking the things they’d looted to their homes. The peasants took turns to go on patrol under
the supervision of the génocidaires. The peasants were ordered to do this. Anyone who didn’t
follow these orders was considered an accomplice. The killers demanded that the old men
gave them a jerry can of local beer.
Some women and young girls were raped . However, the victims were married and found it
difficult to speak out about it for fear of malicious gossip or because of modesty. The victims
also fear being marginalized and for this reason prefer to remain silent. They didn’t even talk
about it during the gacaca trials.
We can state firmly that the people who were responsible for the killings in our cellule were
the educated, and our local officials had an undeniable role. If they had given good advice to
the peasants, there wouldn’t have been killings in our cellule in particular or in Kivumu
commune in general. Here is the list of the leaders of the genocide in our cellule:
• Télésphore Ndungutse, a teacher at Kigali-Budaha primary school. He was the one

who masterminded the genocide in the cellule and gave the green light to the murder
of Grégoire Ndakubana’s family. He is in exile.
• Bosco Uwayezu, a teacher at Bitabage primary. He is in prison in Kibuye.
• Innocent Tuyisenge, also a teacher, is Uwayezu’s younger brother and lives in exile.
• François Xavier Munyaneza, the Kivumu commune secretary, in prison in Kibuye.
• Innocent Gakwisi, an infamous interahamwe, an ordinary peasant, now in the Congo.
• Dominique Hakizimana, a teacher at Bitabage primary, who is now dead.
• Fulgence Kayishema, the IPJ, who is now abroad.
22
2.4. Nsibo Cellule
The atmosphere in Nsibo didn’t suddenly become tense with the death of President
Habyarimana on 7 April. People heard of the slaughter of Tutsis in certain cellules like
Murambi and in Kigali and Ngobagoba sectors. This lasted for two days. Then on 9 April,
the first person to incite hostility was Mudenge, now in exile. On his way back from
Kigali, he had joined the people drinking beer at Vincent Rutabana’s bar, a Tutsi who was
killed. There were about a dozen Hutus and a few Tutsis, including Rutabana; Jean
Baptiste Kayiranga and Rudasingwa. Mudenge didn’t understand how the Tutsis could
walk around freely, even turning up in the bars. He directly began the murders of Tutsis
in the cellule by seriously hurting Habumugisha by hitting him with an empty bottle. The
poor man tried to save himself by going to Nyange church, but in vain; he was finished
off by a group of génocidaires in Nyange business centre in Nsibo, near the statue of the
Virgin Mary. The Tutsis were frightened and immediately headed for the church to take
refuge. The next day, several attacks against Tutsis began. The first team was formed at
Nyange business centre. Under Mudenge’s command, it went to Dusenyi, the place where
a lot of Tutsis from Nsibo were staying. The interahamwe invaded Ndayambaje’s home
first. After his property was looted, his house was set alight. The same thing happened at
Télésphore Ndayambaje’s house. No blood was spilt that day because the Tutsis from the
area had fled, most of them to Nyange church. The other perpetrators who were involved
were Mudahunga, alias Muhogo, at liberty and Hakorimana, both at liberty.
On 11 April, there was another raid in Rubyiniriro aimed at invading the district called
Nsibo mountain, where there were a lot of Tutsis. They had already left for Nyange
parish. The killers made do with looting numerous goats and cows. There were about 12
cows belonging to Senkware. The looters were: Stanislas Nzeyimana, in Kibuye prison;
Alexis Higaniro, at liberty; Donat Bicahaga, in Kibuye prison; Fidèle Ndabananiye, in
Kibuye prison; and Alexis Ngarambe, a refugee.
On 9 April, Nyange parish, which is situated in Nsibo, became a place of refuge for
thousands of Tutsis from Kivumu commune. It was a very solid Gothic-style building,
dating back to 1935. The refugees believed that it was a secure place where people
wouldn’t dare pursue them. That’s why most of the Tutsis from Kivumu took the
precaution of going there. On 11 April, many refugees from all over Kivumu swarmed
through all the streets of Nsibo, heading for the parish. During the massive movement of
Tutsis, the looting and destruction of houses in Nsibo gathered pace. A crowd of
interahamwe invaded Shyogi from Vungu on 11 April. All of those pursued had left their
homes. Most of them were at the parish, others got asylum at homes of their Hutu friends,
who were then forced by the commune authorities to take their guests to Nyange church.
Their property had also been removed. Not wishing to return empty handed the invaders
proceeded to set Aloys Kayishema’s house on fire, and to destroy his son Cyprien’s
home.
From 12 April, on the orders of the commune authorities and Father Athanase Seromba—
conveyed by Kayishema—several roadblocks were set up all over Nsibo, surrounding
Nyange church. The first one was in Nyange business centre, near the statue of the Virgin
Mary, about 80 metres from the church. It was under the control of André Nzabamwita,
alias “Kimaranzara”, in exile. His followers were: Mudenge; Kabalisa Munyejabo, in
Kibuye prison; Cyridion, nicknamed Gikeri, at liberty; Magabali, at liberty; Alfred, a
refugee; and Nsengiyumva, Karamuka’s son. The day after the massacres at Nyange
church, the interahamwe militia received reinforcements of two reservists armed with R4
23
guns. These were Théophile Rukara and Ephrem, both now in exile. The purpose of the
roadblock was to supervise the movement of Tutsis in the church. The interahamwe had
to be vigilant so that no refugee could escape. From the time it was set up, the refugees
were stripped of everything they were carrying to the parish. After 16 April, the date
Nyange church was destroyed, the interahamwe maintained their position and set
themselves the task of checking the identity cards of all the passers-by who were fleeing
the advance of the inkotanyi. In July, an unknown person, suspected of being a Tutsi died
there.
The second roadblock was in Rugabano, under the watch of Jean-Marie, Maridosi’s son,
supervised by Nzabamwita, alias “Kimaranzara.” The interahamwe guarding it had
received an order to pursue Hutus who wanted to take food to the Tutsis at the church.
The group included the following militiamen: Jean-Marie, Karasankima’s son, at liberty;
Dusabe, Butuku’s son, at liberty; and Kabalisa, a reservist armed with a gun. The
roadblock was taken down after the slaughter at Nyange church. Another roadblock was
at Dusenyi with the aim of checking the identity cards of all the passers-by. The reserve
corporal Anicet Bazimaziki was in charge of it. He’s now in Kibuye prison. He was
helped by Mvugirehe, a refugee and Habyarimana, alias “Rukara.” All of them had
grenades. It is worth noting that all the roadblocks were under the supervision of
Kayishema, the IPJ. Gaspard Kanyarukiga, a trader in Ndera, Greater Kigali, who was
originally from Nyange, distributed notebooks to those in charge of the roadblocks, to
make reports.
From 11 April, the leading figures in Kivumu commune joined together to put in place
shrewd strategies aimed at catching all the refugees in their net. The group included:
Grégoire Ndahimana, the bourgmestre; Gilbert Kanani, assistant bourgmestre, now in
exile; Father Athanase Seromba, in prison in Arusha; Kayishema, the IPJ; Habiyambere,
the judge; Kanyarukiga; Ndungutse; a representative of the gendarmes, nicknamed
Kamarampaka; all the councillors of Kivumu commune.
From their first meeting, they gave themselves the task of gathering together all the Tutsis
in the same place. They studied all the possible ways of convincing Hutus of getting rid
of their Tutsi guests. Each councillor was given the job of convincing those in their sector
to accompany Tutsis to the church, suggesting that the place was strategic for security and
for food supplies. The family of Aloys Bonera from Nsanza is among those who came
last. They were accompanied by Arnaud in Kibuye prison and Thomas Munyabarenzi.
They crossed the roadblock in the centre of Nyange business centre, after handing over
3000 Rwandese francs to the militiamen guarding it, including Kimaranzara, Mudenge
and Kabalisa Munyejabo. At this time the refugees were scattered in three places: the
Kivumu commune office; Nyange health centre and Nyange parish. After the meeting
they decided to gather all the refugees in the church. So the resolution to bring the
gendarmes from their headquarters in the préfecture was adopted unanimously. Their
vehicles were even unloaded that evening. By the following day they’d already
surrounded the church.
On 13 April, the same group held another meeting at the commune office. Father
Seromba and a man called Gilbert were given the responsibility of making sure that the
refugees didn’t bring anything with them that they could use to defend themselves. That
was why at the end of the meeting, they sent people to carry out a tour of the church and
turn all the property of the refugees upside down. They didn’t find any weapons. The
evening of the same day, Kayishema conveyed the message that anyone who dared bring
anything to the refugees would be severely punished. It was strictly forbidden for a man
called Ananie to ever make doughnuts in the centre of Nyange in case any Tutsi might
buy one.
24
On 14 April, all the access roads into the parish were closed by the interahamwe and
gendarmes. The militia began the slaughter of Tutsis. A group of 12 Tutsis from Nyanza,
accompanied by Rangira, died on the road to the church, above the Rubyiniriro business
centre. The victims were killed with clubs and machetes by a group of killers led by
Cyimana, Kanyenzi and his son Kayihura, all in exile. The bodies were buried the
following day, at the place they were murdered. The same day, the refugees’ ability to
defend themselves was tested by aggressors from Murambi, under Ndungutse’s
command. The refugees managed to hold them off by throwing stones between 3:00 p.m.
and 5:00 p.m. They returned with certainty about the means of defence available to the
refugees and convinced that they couldn’t fight back against guns.
That evening everyone began to be mobilised to invade the church. Two cars with
megaphones installed on them appeared. They were put at the disposal of unknown
interahamwe. They went round the whole of Kivumu commune, calling on all the
residents to meet up the next day at Nyange church to fight the inyenzi, who, they
claimed, had conquered their parish. A white Pajero was driven by its owner, Théodomir
Uwambajimana, alias “Kiragi”; another, stolen from Aloys Rwamasirabo, a Tutsi, was
always driven by Jean Uwimana, alias Jigoma, now in Gisovu prison.
From very early on the morning of 15 April, the interahamwe from all the sectors in
Kivumu began massively responding to the call. A lot of them were transported by
ASTALDI lorries. The vehicles in the area were also requisitioned for the task. These
were the lorry of Mutuyimana, imprisoned in Kibuye. It was parked in Sodoma centre; a
Toyota Stout stolen from Aloys Rwamasirabo; and Kanyarukiga’s Daihatsu. The lorry
said to belong to Mutuyimana really belonged to Théogène Byukusenge. It had been
stolen by the assistant bourgmestre, Rushema, and Cyriaque. They’d forced its owner to
join the others in transporting the militia. When they’d dropped off the interahamwe from
the region, the operation spread into neighbouring communes. On board these vehicles,
militiamen from Rutsiro, Kibilira and Ngororero arrived in succession.
While they were waiting for enough people to begin the massacres, a delegation of the
commune authorities, accompanied by certain traders, went to meet with Father Athanase
Seromba. They found him in the presbytery, and then went to CODECOKI, where the
meeting took place behind closed doors. The following people took part: the bourgmestre;
Kayishema; Kanyarukiga; Habiyambere; Ndungutse; Habarugira; Father Seromba; and a
group of gendarmes. The meeting lasted an hour and the green light to invade the church
was given at around 10:00 a.m. Armed with traditional weapons—machetes, clubs,
spears, sharpened bamboos—the killers wanted to get closer to the refugees. Since the
church was high up so that it overlooked Nyange business centre, those inside had an
automatic advantage so that the assailants were fighting in retreat. The fight spread out
into Nyange business centre. It lasted more than three hours. Having found it impossible
to eliminate the Tutsis with traditional weapons, the work was taken up by the gendarmes,
militiamen and policemen capable of handling guns. Despite the gunshots the refugees
fought back. As the killers didn’t have a chance to go into the crowd and throw grenades,
Théophile Rukara climbed on the roof of one of the shops in the centre and threw a
grenade at a large number of refugees, most of whom were killed instantly.
In the grounds known as Jubilee, the refugees also resisted. That was why an
interahamwe, Mudenge, went to steal the door of Rwakayiro’s house to use as a shield
against the refugees’ stones. With this, he approached the crowd of Tutsis and exploded
some grenades. The explosions neutralised the strength of the refugees. The interahamwe
took advantage of it to wipe out most of them. The rest withdrew inside the church. The
slaughter took place under the eyes of the group members who had met at CODECOKI.
From the first floor of the priests’ presbytery, they witnessed the massacres unfolding in
front of them. They also had guns and enjoyed shooting at the refugees. Around 3:00
25
p.m., the Nyange business centre and the courtyard of the parish of Nyange were strewn
with corpses. On the orders of Kayishema and the gendarmes, the interahamwe stopped
the killings so as to clear the dead bodies. To help with the collection and burial,
Ndungutse and the gendarmes sent Rwamasirabo to go and collect a bulldozer from
Emmanuel Sinaruhamagaye, the assistant manager of ASTALDI in the area. He was
taken there by Jean Uwimana, in the Toyota Stout stolen from Rwamasirabo. The
machine was granted that day. A big mass grave was dug near the Young Catholic
Workers’ office. The interahamwe proceeded to collect all the bodies and put them in the
grave. They also used the cars. The machine placed them inside the mass grave. The
burial ended that evening.
During the burial, the refugees who were still alive had the time to shut themselves up in
the church. The doors were very solid. However, the interahamwe wanted to finish off the
slaughter. The gendarmes and policemen—including Apollinaire Rangira, in Kibuye
prison; Télésphore Munyantarama; Maharamu; reservists like Boniface Kabalisa, in exile,
Théophile Rukara, in exile and Mvugirehe, nicknamed “Binaniranye”—tried to open the
doors of the church with gunfire and by exploding grenades. Finding it impossible, they
tried to damage the building with dynamite. Either because they didn’t know how or
because the dynamite was old, this failed. When they noticed that all the strategies they’d
used hadn’t allowed them to get into the church, those who had taken the lead in the
massacres at Nyange, the participants at the meeting in CODECOKI, asked the
interahamwe to bring petrol to set the church on fire. A full jerry can of petrol was
brought by Kayishema in Uwimana’s car. Also on board was Arnaud Nibarere, currently
in Kibuye prison, with a watering can brought by Habimana, the agronomist for Kivumu
commune. Through this half open window, Arnaud sprayed petrol into the church and
Faustin Uwarinaniye tried hard to get the fire to light with flames from dry banana skins
tied on a long stick. Their imagination didn’t deliver any results because of the rain,
which had become heavier and heavier. The interahamwe took shelter in the priests’
buildings.
When the rain had stopped, the interahamwe were given tools in the shape of axes by
Kanyamashyamba and Kayishema so as to cut through the doors. They managed to open
one of them. As it was night-time, the interahamwe decided to make Godence’s daughter,
a Hutu, come out and the supervision of the church was given to the interahamwe from
Rutsiro, Ramba and Kibilira communes, supported by gendarmes and communal
policemen. The orders were given by Ndungutse, Kayishema and Father Seromba. The
guards had to ensure that no Tutsi escaped. Jean Baptiste Kagenza, in Kibuye prison, was
put in charge. During the night, a few refugees managed to avoid the vigilance of the
militia and they escaped. These were: Jean Lambert Gatare, now a BBC journalist;
Charles Kagenza, from Zegenya; Jean Baptiste Kayiranga, who was killed in Muzi
cellule, Kigali sector, near the Nyabarongo river; Charles Rutegesha, his son Emmanuel,
and Aloys Bonera’s daughter who were all later killed in Ngobagoba cellule, Ngobagoba
sector, when they were trying to cross the river near Elie Nkurunziza’s house; Célestin
Musabyimana, executed in her home cellule of Nsibo; Aloys Bonera and his wife
Drocella Mukandera, killed in Kabgayi.
The next day the interahamwe had already finished their ammunition. So they had to wait
for the bourgmestre, Ndahimana, because Kayishema had decided not to give out
anything in his absence. They got some around at 8:00 p.m. They immediately began
trying to open the doors of the church again, as the refugees had managed to put back the
one which had been broken into. When they realised that they were going to waste time
as before, some of the leaders of the massacres went to ask Father Seromba to think of
another strategy. The group included the bourgmestre Ndahimana; Habarugira;
Habiyambere; Kinani; Kayishema; the gendarmes and Gaspard Kanyarukiga. During the
meeting, they opted to destroy the church with the ASTALDI bulldozers. All the
26
participants in the meeting, including Father Seromba arranged to pay the drivers for the
service, and Kanyarukiga agreed to provide fuel for the machines. Habiyambere and
Kayishema were in charge of convincing the drivers. So it was immediately agreed that
two bulldozers with two drivers would be put into action. The drivers are well known:
Mitima, who is Congolese; Maurice; Anastase Nkinamubanzi, in Gitarama prison; and
Albert. Paying no attention to the shouts of the innocent people and without any scruples
about destroying a “house of God,” the drivers crushed the walls upon the human beings
and knocked down the building. The interahamwe had the job of picking out those who
were dying to put an end to their life. The leaders of the massacres stayed on the first
floor of the priests’ residence with Father Seromba and all carried guns.
During the two days of carnage at the parish, the interahamwe were fierce because they
wanted to eliminate the Tutsis in such a short time. They acted with so much brutality that
some of them got hurt. Kanyarukiga had put his pharmacy exclusively at the disposal of
the killers to get free treatment. A woman called Cécile Mukamana had been told to give
dressings to the wounded. Among those who benefited from this care were: Bazambanza
from Ndaro sector, who might be at liberty; Alexis Ndereyimana, from Ndaro, who died
in prison; and Mundanikure, in Kibuye prison.
However, there were Tutsi girls who had been taken hostage by the gendarmes for their
sexual pleasure. As they passed through the hands of several rapists it was expected that
the girls would fall sick. As they were chosen to satisfy the gendarmes and leaders of the
genocide round the clock, they got them treatment at Nyange health centre with a handful
of refugees, no more than ten, who the interahamwe had refused to kill. These girls were
kept in the priests’ residence.
After the destruction of the church, two Tutsis, Kandekwe and his wife, were eliminated
by being forced to drink poison. Their torturers were Adrien Munyampenda, from Nsibo,
Anastase Hategeka, from Muganza and Alphonse Nsengiyumva, from Nsibo.
After the slaughter, the drivers of the bulldozers worked to dig mass graves to bury the
bodies. Apart from the mass grave dug near the Young Catholic Workers’ office, where
bodies were dumped on 15 April, another one was dug at Rugabano, above the banana
plantation belonging to the priests. The biggest one was at Zegenya, where ASTALDI
was digging up stones to be crushed. After the burial, it was nicknamed “CND.” The
bulldozers were used to collect the bodies mixed in with the rubble of the church. To
clean up the place, Father Seromba organised a team of women to gather the bodies that
the machines didn’t manage to load into the lorries. So far, the number of victims at
Nyange is estimated at 2500 from all the sectors of Kivumu. Nsibo was among the worst
hit cellules in the region.
The following table lists the number of victims who were originally from Nsibo who died
there, most of them in Nyange church:
N° Name of the head of Number of victims

household
1 Bambanza 3
2 Bihigimondo 2
3 Habiyaremye 2
4 Ruhindana 1
5 Tuganishuri 3
6 Tutabana 6
7 Kayiranga 5
8 Muhigirwa 1
27
9 Nagakiga 5
10 Nzanana 3
11 Kayishema 5
12 Kayihura 1
13 Kayitaba 2
14 Kabayundo 2
15 Gakwerere 4
16 Kandekwe 2
17 Kayiturusu 3
18 Senkware 6
19 Théo Nzaramba 5
20 Jean Nzaramba 4
21 Ntagwabira 6
22 F.Ntaganda 7
23 Twagirayezu 4
24 Gasherebuka 6
25 Kamanzi 4
26 Célestin Musabyimana 1
27 Védaste Kayijamahe 4
28 Mukarusine 1
29 Segafuni 6
30 Kayibanda 4
31 Gakebesha 2
32 Mukagatare 4
33 Murindangwe 6
34 Simbizi 2
35 Nkikabahizi 3
36 Nsanzabaganwa 3
Total 128
Nsibo residents killed outside their cellule:

N° Name Number of victims Non-residents
1 Mukarubega 1 of Nsibo who were
killed in the
2 Sezariya 1
cellule, excluding
3 Gatare 1
those who died in
4 Petronille 1
Nyange church:
5 Immaculée 1
The attackers
6 Ndayambaje Mzee 1 who devoted
7
N° Sylvain
Name 1
Number of victims themselves to
81 Unknown
Gakebesha and his child 142 looting the
2 Total
Segafuni and his child 212 property of Tutsis
3 Ruhindana 1 got together at the
4 Aloys Kayishema 1 business centre in
5 Mukagasana family 4 Nyange. They
6 Rutabana family 5 were joined by the
7 Emmanuel Nzaramba’s son 1 neighbours of
8 Alexis Kagimbanyi 1 Tutsis. Several
9 Kangabira and his daughter 2 houses were
Total 18 ransacked and
pulled down.
28
The metal sheets went into the hands of looters and sticks served as firewood. The number of
houses destroyed was as many as 38 and they belonged to the following Tutsis:
Murindangwe; Télésphore Nzaramba; Gakebesha; Segafuni; Kayibanda; Simbizi;
Mukagatare; Nsanzabaganwa; Kayishema; Senkware; Kandekwe; Gasherebuka; Ndayambaje;
Kamanzi; Kayijamahe; Gakwerere; Kayitaba; Nagakiga; Nzanana; Rutabana; Kayiranga;
Nyiranshoza; Kabayundo; Kayihura; Nzaramba; Kayiturusu; Félix Ntaganda; Callixte
Twagirayezu; Ntiyamira; Kayitaba; Tuganishuri; Bihigimondo; Mukagatare; Nkikabahizi;
Habiyaremye; Bambaza; Cansilda; Cyprien Musabyimana. Tutsis’ shops located at the
business centre were all looted. At the head of the vandals were Kimaranzara and Mudenge.
Among the shops which were destroyed were those belonging to Nasiyonali, Muhigirwa,
Tuganishuri and Kayiranga.
Some cows were killed in front of their owners before they took refuge at the parish: two of
Segafuni’s; one of Jean Nzaramba’s; one of Jean Kayiranga’s; one of Jean Simbizi’s; and
three belonging to Télésphore Nzaramba. When they went to Nyange church, some Tutsis
entrusted their property, including their cows, to their Hutu neighbours, hoping to get them
back later. The interahamwe grabbed them after the slaughter at the parish. These were
Murindangwe’s cow which had been given to Bihira; Segafuni’s given to Munyagakwisi;
Senkware’s left with his two neighbours Hitimana, alias “Toto”, and Niyitegeka; Nagakiga’s
cows, shared between Kabwana and Kanyemera; and Kangabira’s given to Kanyarugo and
Kabwana. Sekware also owned several goats. A gang led by Nzeyimana killed them.
When the war began in 1990, the Hutus said that the Tutsis who had fled in the years between
1959 and 1973 had attacked the country. They added that the Tutsis were aiming to
exterminate the Hutus. For instance, in Vungu cellule, Hutus threw stones at Tutsis’ homes.
In general, the Tutsis were attacked. Their cows were killed. This happened to
Munyandamutsa. They also locked up people they called accomplices of the inyenzi,
inlcuding Aloys Rwamasirabo, who survived the genocide, and Damien Tuganishuli. Others
were beaten, for example Gérard Kajabo, a Hutu married to a Tutsi. The politics of
discrimination continued. You had to have an identity card saying you were Hutus to get into
the army. The rare Tutsis who managed to reach secondary school were mistreated. They
were given names like Abakongoli, a big family of Tutsis, or Udushyondoli, the slender
people.
By 1994, things had become terrible. They say it was due to the death of President
Habyarimana. On the contrary, this was an alibi because there had been apparent warning
signs well beforehand, showing that sooner or later, the Tutsis were going to be wiped off the
map of Rwanda. The information about the death of Habyarimana reached us through Radio
Rwanda on 7 April. A communiqué was broadcast forbidding anyone from leaving home.
Gatherings were also forbidden. The Hutus said that Habyarimana had been killed by the
inkotanyi. From that they concluded that they would be massacred next. Every Hutu armed
himself with a machete. Just after the death of the President, the roadblocks were quickly set
up at all the possible forks in the road. There was one at Kurugabano where a child and two
women were killed. The person present at the roadblock, and who vented his rage with the
help of his rifle, was Anicet Bazimaziki who was a reservist. The man named Laurent
Kalimbanya who was in the FAR, was on leave with his family. He said that if a Tutsi called
Canisius Nagahiga wasn’t killed, there was a danger he’d wipe out the Hutus. It was said that
any Tutsi who wasn’t too poor had a rifle to kill Hutus. In Murambi cellule the massacres had
begun, the Tutsis from Nsibo were afraid and took refuge at Nyange parish church. Before 10
April, Tutsis managed to find refuge with their neighbours. That day, a Sunday, after mass a
29
lot of Tutsis didn’t leave the church. The first victim in Nsibo cellule was Alexis Muhigirwa.
She was killed on 12 April at 2:00 p.m. Her killers were Mateso, Gikeli, Mudenge, Nzamwita,
alias “Kimaranzara”, and Habumigisha.
On 13 April, so as to reach the church, they asked a neighbour to accompany them. There
were Tutsis from all over in Nyange; more than 1000 people.
On 14 April, gendarmes came to Nyange parish. They ordered people not to give any food to
the refugees. They were accompanied by the IPJ, Kayishema, the bourgmestre, Ndahimana,
and others. They said they were going to look after the refugees. They said that whoever was
still providing food to the refugees would be killed. That evening there was a meeting for the
intellectuals and heads of services in Kivumu commune as well as for the sector councillors.
The aim was to work out their criminal plan. Present were: Ndahimana; Kayishema; Father
Seromba; Gaspard Kanyarukiga; Joseph Habiyambere; and Ndungutse. The meeting must
have first been held in the office of CODECOKI, and then in Nyange parish. It took place in
the afternoon this time round it comprised of a restricted group of participants. The next day,
we noticed everyone who had taken part had guns. The previous night there had been an
attempt to attack us, but it failed.
On 15 April, lorries full of stones arrived. Immediately, the peasants and other militiamen
began throwing stones at us. Nearly all the Hutu population was present, including children,
women and girls, except perhaps those who were seriously ill. The gendarmes advised us to
come out and defend ourselves, but it was a way of enabling the criminals to annihilate us.
Every day that the refugees spent at the parish, the head of the communal police force,
Mbakirirehe, Kayishema, Ndahimana, and Munyantarama, the communal policeman,
supported the gendarmes and civilians in throwing stones and grenades at us. That allowed
them to break through to the refugees. They took the opportunity to search the refugees. They
were looking, they said, for weapons that the Tutsis might possess. The sticks and other
things that the refugees had were seized. While they were doing this they counted the
refugees and identified Tutsis who weren’t there. Father Seromba’s watchman, named
Canisius joined the group of criminals who were searching. Seeing that it was impossible for
them to fight back against grenades and machetes, the refugees decided to leave the church.
About 1500 people were massacred that day. The main weapons used were grenades and
machetes. Guns were used by the gendarmes, policemen, and reservists like Kabalisa, in
prison in Mulindi; Warrant Officer Habarugira; Rushema, assistant bourgmestre as well as
Colonel Nzapfakumunsi’s bodyguard. He often came to the parish where there was a store of
beers from Kigali.
15 and 16 April are days that remain engraved on the memories of Tutsis from Nyange as
they mark their suffering. On the evening of 15 April, the criminals looked for an extreme
solution, bringing bulldozers to demolish the church. But they didn’t attain their objective
because night fell. They returned the following day to finish what they’d begun. So the church
was completely demolished along with its tower. They thought of destroying the church
because they hadn’t managed to get inside it. When the church was crushed, numerous
refugees lost their lives. Others were killed by the walls that fell on them. Those who hadn’t
yet died were finished off with machetes.
Not satisfied, the leaders of the killers asked people to group themselves by cellule. They
ordered them to hunt down anyone who had escaped the massacre in the church or others
whose whereabouts were unknown. The houses were quickly searched. Victims had to be
searched all over for any money in their clothes before being murdered. They were undressed.
The génocidaires had no shame in leaving with the worn-out clothes, though it’s difficult to
determine how much they were worth. A committee was appointed with the aim of tracking
down the survivors of the massacres in the church. Claudien Senkware, Césarie, Mukabonera,
30
Etienne Nsengayire and Drocelle Mukashema were among these survivors who, sadly, were
finally killed in May.
After the slaughter of Tutsis, they pursued anyone related to them. Tutsi women married to
Hutus, like Hélène, Ayinkamiye and Immaculée, were no exception. There were meetings in
every cellule, led by the Nyange sector councillor. He said that if by chance there were any
Hutus still giving shelter to Tutsis they would pay for it dearly. As for the educated people in
our sector, they said : “Anyone killing a rat wouldn’t spare the babies on the point of being
born.” This meant that no Tutsi should be spared. Pregnant women and little children were
not to be made an exception. Those who spoke at the meeting were: Rwakayiru, who was
Nyange sector councillor; Donatha Mukakarara; Nyiradadari; Rwajekare, Nsibo responsable;
and Alphonse Nsengiyumva. The others were those who made up the cellule committees.
Among the people in the church who survived the genocide were: Charles Kagenza; Bertin
Ndakubana; Théoneste Gasana; Apollinaire Nsengiyumva; Jean Bosco Safari; Donatha;
Dévota; Fidèle Harindintwari; Valens Rutayisire; and Claver Nkwakuzi.
Before the church was demolished, the refugees could be estimated at 3000. To bury the
bodies they needed to dig three mass graves with the help of caterpillars. The bulldozers and
lorries were used to transport the bodies. We can’t estimate the number of trips these lorries
made. The machine used in the demolition of the church was driven by Nkinamubanzi from
Kibilira and the one transporting the bodies was driven by a Zairian named Maurice. They
had been borrowed from ASTALDI, a road building company, by the commune authorities.
The weapons used in the massacres of Tutsis included, among others, machetes, clubs,
hatchets and hoes. Guns, grenades and petrol were also used. People who died at home were
usually thrown into the toilet. The bodies of others were left at the scene of the crime, put in
anti-erosion pits or thrown in rivers. Others who were devoured by dogs; some victims were
buried with dignity by their friends.
As for the victims’ belongings, the cows were killed in the first place. They served as a
reward for the bravest in the massacres. The household utensils were stolen in front of their
owners. Nothing was left in the houses—mats, beans, sheets, and mattresses were taken. The
houses were totally destroyed. The génocidaires left with tiles, bricks and wood. They didn’t
hesitate in eating the goats, chickens and pigs. The bravest were the first to appropriate a goat
or sheep. Women and children looked after the crops which weren’t yet ripe, including
cassava, sweet potatoes and peas.
Observing that no Tutsi had escaped, the men went on to sharing out the victims’ plots of
land. Adrien Munyampenda got Fidèle’s field which is on the hill called Nsibo; Nsengiymva
took Gérard Gakwerere’s property; Emmanuel Rwagasana stole Segafuni’s inheritance, while
Rwajekare, the Nsibo responsable monopolised Senkware’s fortune. This sharing took place
under the supervision of the Nyange councillor, helped by the cellule responsable. The living
standards of Tutsis in Nsibo hadn’t been bad at all. Among them were shopkeepers, civil
servants, and farmers.
When the inkotanyi arrived, in July, the massacres seemed to have stopped but this didn’t
prevent killings as we were fleeing the war.
Women played an important role in the genocide, such as Cécile Mukamana who had a
grenade. Another woman called Ancilla Mukamana was armed with a spear. She is still free
on her hill, while Cécile is in prison in Kibuye. She was also the one who looked after
wounded criminals.
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2.5 Nyange Cellule
Nyange is situated to the west along the main road from Kibuye to Gitarama, around 50 km
from the Kibuye provincial office. It is bordered on by Nsibo and Muganza cellules, to the
west and Gitabi cellule in Nsanza sector to the east, Kakinyoni in Kivumu sector to the north
and Remera cellule in Nsanza to the south.
From the beginning of the October war, the Tutsis were marginalised in several sectors of
Kivumu commune. Fortunately for Nyange sector, no acts of savagery took place in the
period between October 1990 and the day Habyarimana died. From the time his death was
announced until 12 April, the Tutsis were living in fear, without being attacked, because they
saw their people being tortured and killed in neighbouring sectors.
On 13 April, Innocent Gasherebuka, from Nsibo, appointed himself leader of a militia,

formed in Nsibo business centre. The interahamwe in this militia went under the cover of
daybreak to kill Julia, the wife of Vincent Safari. Through the goodwill and efforts of his
Hutu neighbours who remained united at that stage, the woman didn’t lose her life though she
was wounded. The attempts at violence forced several Tutsis to look for places to hide in the
bushes, while others headed for Nyange parish.
On 14 April, under the command of Grégoire Ntigorama, in exile, and Eugène Barayagwiza,
in detention in Kibuye, men from Rukoko sector came to Nyange cellule and began cutting
down all the bushes. This is how they found Furere and clubbed him to death. His death was
announced by his children who managed to escape into the bush. The Nyange residents
wanted to bury the bodies but this was overtaken by the spread of barbaric acts like arson,
destruction and looting from houses. Three houses were set alight: Rugigana’s, Furere’s and
Rugirangoga’s. The attackers returned with two mattresses belonging to Furere, looted from
Célestin Munyabarenzi’s house. The same day, another gang from Kivumu sector, led by
Mpatswenumugabo, an ex-FAR soldier integrated into the RPA, came to carefully monitor
whether Tutsis were hiding in Rubona forest in Nyange. There they recruited Innocent
Baziruwiha, who was looking after his cows. No one was found in the forest. However, when
they came out of the forest, Sinzabakwira, Mpatswenumugabo’s employee, at liberty,
Muzaribara, at liberty in Kivumu, and Mpatswenumugabo, noticed Mukamana with her two
children, one on her back, on her way round the forest, from Célestin Hozana’s house. These
three unfortunates were captured and kept until all the gang arrived. Mpatswenumugabo
snatched a club from Kubwimana, in exile, which he used to kill the mother and the child on
her back. The other child was suffocated by Munyandekwe.
These people were involved in the incident:
• Mpatswenumugabo, an RPA soldier, from Kakinyoni cellule, Kivumu sector;

• Muzaribara, Mbarubukeye Sakindi, Hitimana and Nzeyimana, all at liberty, and from
Kamuliza, cellule, Kivumu sector;
• Sinzabakwira, at liberty, from Nyange;
• Innocent Baziruwiha, in Kibuye prison, from Nyange,;
• Ferdinand Karemera, in Kibuye prison, from Kakinyoni cellule, Kivumu sector; and
• Kubwimana, in exile, from Kamuliza cellule, Kivumu sector,.
From 14 April, the interahamwe began searching for Tutsis in all the bushes in the area. They
wanted to make sure that they were all in Nyange church, the place about to become the
centre of the slaughter.
32
There were more Tutsis than Hutus in Nyange cellule. That gave them the opportunity to have
a more or less representative executive cellule committee. Out of its five members, two were
Tutsis: Boniface Mucumankiko and Célestin Kayitaba, who was its head. The presence of
Tutsis in the political affairs of the commune had deterred the authorities from setting foot
there to incite the Hutus to massacre their neighbours.
On 13 April, two gangs of interahamwe militia invaded the cellule from Kivumu sector. The
génocidaires were under the command of Grégoire Ntigorama and Eugène Barayagwiza, all
originally from Gitabi, Rukoko sector. To defend themselves, the victims gathered together
on the hill called Kazibaziba and fought the assailants with stones. The resistance didn’t last
long because the interahamwe received a helping hand from other militia led by
Mpatswenumugabo. Finding themselves at the mercy of the killers, a lot of people preferred
to escape to the parish, where they were hoping to remain safe and sound since they were
going to join other people from all the sectors, called there by the commune authorities and
the priest, Father Seromba. When they’d defeated the Tutsis, the killers, armed with all sorts
of traditional weapons, proceeded to systematically eliminate them. Most died in the bushes.
The slaughter lasted three days and cost the lives of more than 30 people in the cellule:
Names of the victims

1. Télésphore Rugirangoga 17. Rosalie Mukanyonga
2. Petronille Twagirayezu 18. Concessa Mukantabana
3. Espérance Musabimana 19. Combe
4. Alexis Nsengiyumva 20. Rosalie’s two grandchildren
5. Furera 21. Hategeka’s child
6. Rugigana Boniface 22. Mucumankiko
7. Déogratias Sezibera 23. Mukabaziga
8. Mukabera 24. Godfred Gashugi
9. Patricia Sebikwerere 25. Charlotte
10. Augustin Gasana 26. Munyankumburwa’s two children
11. Aloys Nyampatsi 27. Gasagamba’s child
12. Virginie Mukankusi 28. Sebikwerere’s two children
13. Stéphanie Ntagahuriro 29. Nsengiyumva’s three children
14. Immaculée Mukaruzamba 30. Mucumankiko’s grandchild
15. Jean Murangira 31. Evariste Nkurunziza
16. Dorothée Kuramukobwa 32. Rusisiro’s child
When they realised that they were no match for the forces of the interahamwe who were
swarming all over the cellule, a lot of Tutsis met up with the others at Nyange church, where
they suffered and died together with others from all over the commune. Nyange cellule alone
lost 97 people as listed below.
Names of the victims

1. Ngirabega 2. Mukamunana
3. Kankindi 4. Mugimbaha
5. Ngirababyeyi’s children (3) 6. Gakwaya’s children (2)
7. Kanyankore 8. Mudakubana
9. Belancilla 10. Rugigana’s children (4)
11. Emerthe 12. Bagirinka
13. Gaspard Gasagamba 14. Rukeribuga
15. Munyankumburwa 16. Sebumba
17. Munyankumburwa’s children (4) 18. Mukakamanzi
19. Francine Mukashyaka 20. Nsabimana
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21. Kanyundo’s children (2) 22. Mukakamanzi’s child
23. Rusesero 24. Didace Ndayambaje
25. Rusesero’s children 26. Murayire
27. Gérald 28. Semuhungu
29. Domitilla 30. Twahirwa
31. Catherine 32. Agnès, Twahirwa’s wife
33. Magdaleine 34. Twahirwa’s children (2)
35. Munyangabe’s child 36. Uhoranyingoga
37. Josepha 38. Batamuriza
39. Nyampatsi’s children (3) 40. Uhoranyingonga’s children (4)
41. Landrada 42. Kamwiza
43. Munyampenda’s children (4) 44. Mukamurenzi
45. Vianney Uwimana 46. Kamwiza’s children (3)
47. Béatrice 48. Clothilde
49. Uwimana’s children (2) 50. Gashugi’s children (3)
51. Sezibera’s children (3) 52. Julia
53. Ngango 54. Safari’s children (4)
55. Césarie 56. Kayitaba
57. Ngango’s children (3) 58. Nyirakamana
59. Hategekimana 60. Kayitaba’s children (5)
61. Gakwaya 62. Godfred Muganankoko
According to the detainees, the massacres took place in the bushes and at Nyange church.
Very few killings took place in the homes of their owners or in public places. Only the killers
are in a position to talk clearly about the carnage they committed day and night for three days,
between 13 and 15 April, in the bushes. Ordinary people took part in burying the bodies the
day after the slaughter. That was how the number of victims who died in the commune was
identified. There are some well-known incidents. Until 15 April, an old man named Sezibera,
his daughter and her two children were on the alert. They decided to stay at home despite
several attempts by assailants. That day, around 10:00 p.m., their neighbours, Mukankaka,
Mbabariye’s wife and Consolée Mukagahima, Dominique Mbikenge’s wife, came up with a
plan to kill them. Because of their shouts, a crowd of interahamwe arrived thinking that the
inkotanyi had attacked the family of Callixte Nkundakozera, Sezibera’s neighbour. All of a
sudden, the old man Sezibera was hit by a spear thrown by Evariste. Next, Mukazibera and
her two children were beaten with the interahamwe’s traditional weapons. The attackers
included génocidaires from Kivumu sector as well as people from Nyange, namely: Evariste
Nzikobali, Mbabariye, Nkundakozera, Munyaneza, Zibanduwere, Murengera, Patrice
Muzima─all still at liberty─and Makuza and Byoshyo, now dead.
Under the command of François Mpatswenumugabo, the men continued their operations
searching the bushes. After the horrors of Nyange church, the attackers searched for Tutsis
and their property among certain Hutu families. That happened at the beginning of May. The
searches took place in three cellules; Kakinyoni and Kamuliza in Kivumu, and Nyange.
There, a Hutu family which was repeatedly searched was Nkundakozera’s. They were firstly
targeting the Tutsis’ livestock as well as their property. They captured a Tutsi child at
Nkundakozera’s and killed him on the spot. Nkundakozera was forced to pay a fine of 600
Rwandese francs. The interahamwe grabbed three cows which they slaughtered in Kakinyoni
cellule. Among them were:
• François Mpatswenumugabo, RPA soldier from Kivumu sector;

• Emmanuel Habyarimana, from Kakinyoni cellule, Kivumu sector, in Gisovu prison;
• Grégoire Nsekerabanzi, who died in Kivumu commune prison;
• Baritonda, at liberty in Kakinyoni cellule;
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• Karera, from Kakinyoni cellule, in Gisovu prison;
• Habiyaremye, from Kamuliza cellule, in exile;
• Shabireko, from Kamuliza cellule, at liberty.
The assault led by Mpatswenumugabo led to the looting of the property of Tutsis. A lot of
cows and goats that the Tutsis owned and had given to their Hutu neighbours were taken
when they were searching for Tutsis in the homes of Hutus. More than 50 cows were
slaughtered. A few of the houses were set alight after the tiles were removed.
On 16 April, very early in the morning, a raid led by Ndagijimana, Bandorayingwe’s son,
from Nsibo cellule, currently in exile, invaded Nyange cellule. Its sole aim was to murder the
people from Nsibo cellule. Musabyimana, the stepmother of Alexis Ngaboyishema, in Kibuye
prison, was the first victim. With the complicity of Ngaboyishema, Musabyimana was killed.
From then on the murderers killed Boniface Rugigana, discovered in a banana plantation in
the area. The perpetrators included: Assiel Nsengimana, in exile; Isaїe Nyemazi, in exile;
Gashema, in exile; François Ntabwoba; Vianney Mujyakera; Cyprien Murasanyi; Eulade
Icyabitoreye; Kamanzi; Callixte, and Kavune’s son, at liberty.
After killing these two people, the interahamwe grew more determined in their searches.
When they were accused of being at the head of the people giving asylum to Tutsis, Aloys
Rugengamanzi, now dead, and Alexis Ngaboyishema, enrolled in the team. Before continuing
the hunt for Tutsis, Icyabitoreye and Isaїe expressed the wish to go first and kill Mbaraga’s
cows which were being kept by Muruta. Mbaraga was considered an accomplice. A few
metres from Mbaraga’s house, near the pasture, the killers turned round when they were
called by Kayiranga, pointing out to them that Tutsis were sheltering in Mbaraga’s house. The
house was surrounded on the spot. Frightened, Segafuni gave himself up to the killers.
Callixte and Assiel Nsengiyumva clubbed him to death. Trying to escape from the house,
Nkikabahizi was clubbed to death by Nsengimana. When they’d finished these two murders,
the killers received information from Kayiranga that there were other Tutsis hidden in his
grandfather’s house. Rugengamanzi and Ngaboyishema were the first to leave so as to verify
this information. There they found Callixte and Segafuni’s wives; Segafuni’s two daughters;
Gasangwa’s son and Nkikabahizi’s shepherd. The two women begged the killers to take them
outside so that the house and their host could be protected from the blood. After negotiations
they spared some of them. Gasangwa’s boy escaped through the gap dug in the cowshed.
Unfortunately, they killed him in a bush after Rwagakiga, alias Kimasa, and Mpakanyi’s son
pointed him out. Assiel is responsible for his death, killing him with a club. In May, the
women and their daughters, in despair, committed suicide.
Towards the end of April, the cellule was in mourning. It had just lost half its population. In
spite of the debris spread everywhere in the cellule, the interahamwe seemed to still be thirsty
for the blood of Tutsis. As they could no longer see them around, they believed they could
find a few survivors in the bushes, despite repeated searches. Hunting dogs were used. Jean
Murangira was discovered in a ravine close to where Vincent Ntibitegera, now in Kibuye
prison, was turning over the earth. He had been beaten by Balisaba, after having denied that
he knew Murangira’s hiding place. Through torture, the captive indicated that he was hiding
at Munyagakwisi’s. This man agreed to pay a fine of a goat so that his host would be left
alive. Unfortunately he was later killed by others.
The prisoners who have told this story remain convinced that the Tutsis in their cellule were
victims of the failure of the bourgmestre, Ndahimana, and Father Athanase Seromba, to
intervene. For them, these two men knew everything that was going on, considering that
Nyange cellule was in the sector where the church and commune office were located. They
added that the authorities led all the meetings in which the plans to eliminate the Tutsis were
35
made, including the decision to gather the Tutsis inside the church. The prisoners named
three others as leaders of the genocide:
• Mpatswenumugabo, the leader of the attacks in Kivumu sector and Nyange cellule;
• Grégoire Ntigorama, the organiser of the attacks from Rukoko sector; and
• Eugène Barayagwisa, Grégoire’s right-hand man.
2.6 Vungu Cellule
Between 10 and 15 November 1990, after the RPF invasion, the Nyirantama and Kayijuka
families were stoned and their cattle looted. All this happened in front of the councillor of
Nyange sector, Tharcisse Habakurama, and the Vungu cellule responsable. They made every
effort to get the commune security council to intervene. As the situation became worrying, the
councillor was dismissed and replaced by Jean Marie Vianney Habarugira. He organised
night patrols with the local people to watch over security in his sector, until the death of
President Habyarimana.
On 10 April 1994, Kayijuka was secretly killed at his home. The next day, the councillor of
Nyange sector went to Kivumu commune office to ask the bourgmestre Grégoire Ndahimana
and the IPJ, Kayishema, to open an enquiry into this murder. Suspicious, they forced him to
go and bury the victim, adding that the death of Tutsis shouldn’t require any inquiry. A week
later, there was an attack from Cyambogo cellule, under the command of Barigira, in Vungu
cellule at the invitation of another group created by Habarugira. The two of them invaded
families in the Gisiza area. When they arrived at Isidore Kayigo’s house, with the complicity
of his son Tharcisse Sanani, they found Kageruka’s son who was their domestic servant.
Hitabatuma executed him with a machete at Manenge’s house. From there, Sanani told the
interahamwe militia that all the Tutsis had taken refuge at their brother’s house in Kanyinya
cellule. All the interahamwe went back there immediately. Gahutu’s family was the first
target but no one was there. Then, the interahamwe got the following Tutsis out of the Magera
family’s home: Kanamugire’s wife, Dusabemariya, Anicet’s daughter and more than five
children. When they’d found their prey, the gang split into two. The first group, led by
Barigira led the captured people to Gisiza to kill them. The second group, led by
Ndamyabera, stayed behind to continue the hunt for Tutsis. With Sezibera’s help, Kageruka
was found at the home of Donat, Karambizi’s son. His throat was cut on the spot. Ngarambe
then discovered Alexis in the surrounding bushes. The victim died at Manenge’s house. All
the bodies were gathered at Manenge and Kanamugire’s houses. After three days, they were
buried on the orders of Habarugira, the councillor. After the burial, certain Tutsis who were
still alive were forced to return to Nyange church on the orders given by the councillor. These
were: Manenge; Kavabahizi’s wife; Ruherera, Kavabahizi’s son.
On 12 April 1994, a team of killers, including Munyangondo, alias “Rugondo”, deceased and
Jean de Dieu Ndagijimana, alias Rukara, broke the door of the Pentecostal church in Vungu
and made the Tutsis come out, among them: Munyurangabo, alias Nyamajyara; Rukara;
Marcianne; Uwamariya; and Philomène. Apart from Nyamajyara who was left at
Harindintwari’s house after being seriously wounded, the others were taken into Kigali sector
where they were killed. Thinking that they had no chance of survival, and having heard that
Nyange church had become a centre of refuge, several Tutsi families decided to join to the
others at the parish. These were: Anicet Nyabudogoro; Kamusoro; Urayeneza’s family;
Eugène Kanamugire; Mukabera’s family; Manenge’s family; Uwamariya’s family; and
Rudasingwa’s family.
36
The fate of the refugees is well known; they were all wiped out in the invasion of Nyange
church on 14-16 April. After the slaughter at the parish of Nyange, like other cellules in
Nyange, Vungu became a hunting ground for Tutsis who had escaped from the massacres at
the parish. The bushes were searched especially in May when the interahamwe were waiting
for the victorious advance of the inkotanyi. The hunters included: Jean Marie Vianney
Habarugira; Alphonse Nzaramba; Ntagwabira; Ntagwabira’s son; Niyoyita; Kanonko;
Mathias Mbabariye; Védaste Sezibera; Mageza; Télésphore Bayingana; and Tharcisse Sanani.
The gang abducted an unknown person and killed him in Ngarambe’s field. The men
responsible for rooting out Tutsis included interahamwe from Vungu cellule and other
cellules like Kanyinya and Nsibo. There were also militia from Kigali sector, and even from
neighbouring communes like Bwakira and Rutsiro. Some armed themselves with guns.
Adrien Niyitegeka, a communal policeman, in Kibuye prison was among them. They operated
in Vungu and surrounding cellules, especially Kanyinya where they killed a lot of Tutsi
women married to Hutus. All the victims were taken to the mass grave, nicknamed CND, in
Zegenya cellule. In Vungu cellule, the last victim was Midumbe, who looked after Kayitaba’s
cows. The invasion in which Ntawanguruvugo from Bwira sector was taking part, discovered
her in the bush near Kayitaba’s house. Disowned by him, she was immediately clubbed to
death. Gasarabwe received a reward of 200 Rwandese francs from Kayitaba for burying her in
Muhatsi’s field.
The property of Tutsis went into the hands of looters on the day of the killings. The
destruction and looting of the property of people who went to Nyange parish took place
immediately after they left. No house was spared. No cases of sexual violence have been
reported.
The death of President Habyarimana was known about by nearly everyone on the morning of
7 April through Radio Rwanda. People began to look at each other with suspicion and mutual
fear. In Vungu cellule, the massacres began officially on 12 April. However before then, a
Tutsi called Grégoire Kayijuka was killed. No meeting was held to incite massacres. But you
could see here and there in our cellule people forming little groups, some of Tutsis and others
Hutus. Tutsis were too fearful of going to the bar. They couldn’t go to the market either.
Generally, they didn’t want to be seen. Their apprehension was based on a communiqué
broadcast repeatedly on Radio Rwanda which forbade people from leaving their homes.
Gatherings were also prohibited.
In Vungu cellule, the massacres didn’t begin immediately. At first Tutsis from our cellule
were killed by Hutus from the neighbouring cellule, Cyambogo.
On 12 April, there were still no roadblocks in Vungu cellule. But the killings raged. About 13
people lost their lives in our cellule, among them: Ngoboka; Alexis Kanyamibwa; Epiphanie
Mukandoli; Tuyisenge, Epiphanie’s son; and Immaculée. There were many people involved
in killing and incitement, but the few names that stand out are: Elias Ndamyabera, in Kibuye
prison; Subwanone, freed because he is elderly; Ngarambe, deceased; Hitabatuma, deceased;
and Murekezi, whose whereabouts we don’t know.
After 12 April, some other Tutsis lost their lives, notably Gashirabake, Munyurangabo,
Murindankiko and Rudomoro. The first victims died the same day. It was easy to kill them as
they were neighbours and we pursued them to their place of refuge. In the following days,
numerous other Tutsis were killed. What made their killing so fast was that they were taken
by surprise and didn’t know what was happening to them.
37
After the murder of Tutsis, the roadblocks were put up. In Vungu they were at Kanyansinda,
erected on the orders of Ildefonse Kibwumukiza who was a veterinary assistant, currently in
Gisovu prison. Also involved were: Emmanuel Sembibi, now dead; Gashayija, in exile;
Ndamyabera, in Kibuye prison; Ngirabega nicknamed Kilihahira, whose whereabouts remain
unknown; and Simfatamunnyo, in exile. Even today we don’t know anyone who died at this
roadblock. Nevertheless there was a woman called Marie Uwamariya who said that a man
who was with her had disappeared there.
The main weapons used by the murderers were machetes and clubs, not guns.
The most well known massacre was at Nyange church. It is difficult to remember the names
of those who died and their number. Many of those who died in the cellule were given a
proper burial. However, there were others thrown into the toilets, including Gashirabake,
Murindankiko, and Munyurangabo.
When they’d got rid of the problem of the Tutsis, the murderers turned to sharing the fields of
the victims. Councillor Habarugira shared them out. He was helped by the responsable for
Vungu cellule, Bwanakeye. The beneficiaries were really more the privileged Hutus rather
than the peasants. with other Hutu peasants. As the councillor had a large family, they also
profited. He didn’t forget his friends and close collaborators. Alphonse Nyaramba, the
coucillor’s father, got Anicet Munyeshema’s property; Ngarambe, the councillor’s cousin,
seized Emmanuel Nzubahumuremyi’s belongings; Schadrack, the pastor, received Eugène
Kanamugire’s field; and Bwanakeye occupied Kamusoro’s field. As for the other peasants,
they hurried to cut down bananas and loot crops still in the fields. That went together with the
destruction of the houses. The génocidaires left with the tiles as well as what had been used to
build the walls, especially wood. Many génocidaires were poverty stricken so they left with
everything they found in the house. Cups, pots, tables and beds were taken. The boldest took
the lion’s share. The women whose husbands were Tutsi removed their own property. They
took it with them to their families. The things were shared between these women and the
killers. The crops in the fields were also harvested and the remains were fed to their livestock.
The roofs of Tutsis’ houses were taken off. Where these have not been restored, food crops or
banana trees have been planted.
There weren’t any cases of rapes of girls and women in Vungu. None were even mentioned
during the gacaca hearings.
Women weren’t involved in the genocide in our cellule. There was just a woman called
Mukansanga who admitted having stolen clothes from the refugees at Nyange. She agrees that
she went there but says that the murderers passed the clothes to her. Among those she names
were Nyabudogoli, who is dead and Rugondo, detained in Kibuye prison. In the gacaca
meetings he was blamed for having massacred Tutsis at Nyange.
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2.7 Zegenya Cellule
Before 1990 and even after the inyenzi attack of October 1990, no one in our cellule was
arrested as an accomplice of the inkotanyi.
Things changed in April 1994. After the plane crash of President Habyarimana was
announced, we began to feel a bad atmosphere. From the morning of 7 April, people were
sitting in cliques. That began on the morning of 7 April.
On 8 April, we heard that Ndakubana’s family had been killed. Aloys Rwamasirabo came to
the business centre in Cyambogo to tell us to help him. Those who were ready and had the
strength went there. They left in his van. Later they went back home. All the same, we heard
it said that on 8, 9 and 10 April, the Tutsis from Bugabe cellule, sector Kigali were
assassinated. The victims were Thomas Mwendezi, Martin Karekezi and Tutsis from Giko
cellule in Ngobagoba sector.
On 11 April at 2:00 p.m., attackers led by François Gashugi, in exile, came to our cellule from
Kabuye, Ngobagoba sector, passing through Dutwe in the same sector. The incursion cost the
lives of two people, Anicet Sahaha and his nephew. When they arrived in Zegenya, they slit
the throat of an old man named Kadengeli. He was buried on 13 April, on the orders of Jean
Marie Vianney Habarugira. Gashugi’s companions were Munyampirwa, Mbaraga, Gafurama,
Ndindabo, Nshirubute and Masekurume.
Two days later, on 16 April, an unidentified person was killed by Mukeshimana. His body
was thrown into the anti-erosion ditch and buried properly by Jean Bavugaruta.
Mukantaganda and Ngarambe were murdered by Bizimana, who is now in Gisovu prison,
though we can’t remember on which particular day. His accomplices were Théoneste
Ndahayo,in Kibuye prison, and Rugira who is deceased. We did all we could to bury the
victims properly. There was also an unidentified woman who was finished off by Ndungutse
and Mukeshimana. She was handed over by an old woman, Uwamungu, who is in Kibuye
prison. Uwabimfura who is also in Kibuye prison, confirms this information because he was
asked to bring a hoe to bury the bodies of the victims.
At the beginning of May, a meeting was held in Gashugi’s shop and bar. A lot of people were
invited there from different cellules. We remember: Fulgence Kayishema; Ephrem
Mukangahe; Eustache Nsengiyaremye, Nsibo cellule; and Innocent Karangwa, Cyambogo
cellule. The purpose of the meeting was to search Hutu houses to make certain there were no
Tutsis there. That had to be done in Cyambogo cellule. The lists of houses to be searched was
prepared. The leaders of the meeting invited the Hutus who were to help them.
The following morning, between 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., we returned to the same place. There
were about 30 of us and Kayishema, Kabalisa and Mukangahe were the leaders. They took us
to the commune office. Very quickly we went into the home of a Hutu called Kagenza where
we found a child whom we left alone because Kagenza told us that the child was Hutu. It was
still Cyambogo cellule we were targeting. We continued on to the house of Marie, who died
later. Gicumba was there. He was taken to Zegenya to be killed by Ndindabo. The body was
thrown into a pit which had been dug for use as a toilet. Ndindabo baptised this pit CND. He
used to say that as the inkotanyi had come from Kigali and stayed at CND, the Tutsis he
brought were also going to lie at CND. Another group went to Kayitare’s house and found
three children. Ndindabo was there. They took them to CND but one of the children managed
to escape and stay in Cyambogo. We raided Munyandinda’s home and discovered an old
39
woman called Mukamuhinde. She was also led to CND where she was assassinated.
Nkurunziza’s house wasn’t spared. Hearing our voices, a girl who was hiding there got away.
We found this out from the members of this family. As it had rained, we were following her
footprints when suddenly we heard people shouting. These were Hutus who had noticed her.
We caught her at the border of Cyambogo and Kabuye, in Ngobagoba sector. She was taken
to Cyambogo centre. Faustin Niyitegeka was among the killers and he commented:
I went into a bar to get a beer. Gashugi gave me the bottle he had. A few minutes later, I went
outside and found that the girl had been taken to CND. We, who remained in the centre, went
out to search the home of Grégoire Nzabigerageza. We found a woman and two children who
had come from Ngobagoba. They were killed at CND. We continued to execute our plan. We
visited Mutayomba’s house. We knew that his brother-in-law, Théodat, a Tutsi, was hiding
there. The information was revealed by Nsengimana, Mutayomba’s son. Like the others, he
was taken to CND.
The mass grave was near Zegenya cellule. A roadblock had been erected beside the grave on
the orders of Kayishema and Ndahimana. These two men were often present. The roadblock
was guarded by Habarugira, the councillor; Boniface Kabalisa, Faustin Uwarinaniye and
Ephrem Mukangahe, all reservists; Ntamugabumwe; Gashugi; Karemera; Mathias; Ndindabo;
Vincent Nsengiyaremye; and Mukeshimana. The civilians were given some training by
soldiers and policemen in how to guard the roadblock. A young boy was caught there. He was
taken by Kayishema and his companions and he too ended up in the mass grave. A soldier in
the FAR was killed because it was thought he’d take revenge for his murdered friends. He
was killed by Faustin Niyitegeka who has confessed his crime and adds the following:
I also admit that I slit the throat of a child who was at Munyambaraga’s in Zegenya. I had
found out that he was Tutsi. He was in Bugabe cellule, in Kigali sector. I brought him to see
the others at CND. After this murder we executed an old woman who survived the massacres
at Nyange church.
In the days that followed, Kayishema wanted to continue hunting the remaining Tutsis. No
one supported his cause.
The houses of Tutsis were destroyed on 11 April. First they were burned, then destroyed after
the killings. The victims’ homes had roofs made of tiles. These were taken by Gashugi and
his friends, as well as the bricks which were used to build their houses. Utensils were taken by
Isidore Biraruro, the responsable, and Innocent Karangwa. They seized Kamegeli’s fields. He
was a Tutsi who died in the genocide. Faustin Niyitegeka said:
In our cellule, we didn’t gather crops which weren’t yet ripe. However, I stole Tutsis’ fields
and grew sweet potatoes in them.
Adrien Niyitegeka worked as a communal policeman in Kivumu. He spoke of what happened

at Nyange church and revealed his part in the atrocities.
On 15 April, I went to Nyange church. I had taken Murambi’s child from Ndungutse when
they were going to cut his throat. A woman called Nyirabarera entrusted me with him. As I
couldn’t continue to protect him, I entrusted him to my colleague Munyantarama to hand over
to Munyarugamba. The same day, I went to see Munyantarama so he could tell me where the
child was. When I got there, I was told that Munyantarama had gone to Nyange parish. I went
there and he told me that the child had been taken to the church with the others on the orders
of the bourgmestre. Kayishema, Rushema and Ndungutse told me to hunt for Tutsis who were
outside the church. I categorically refused. All of a sudden, the bourgmestre asked me to shoot
at the tower of the church. I tried to refuse, saying I didn’t have any cartridges. I only had two.
They forced me and in the end I agreed.
40
I went back to Zegenya quickly. The next day, the bourgmestre sent a message telling
me to intervene in Gasave sector which had been invaded by a Tutsi soldier. I was told that he
was throwing grenades. Before going there, I had to see the bourgmestre in person to ask him
for cartridges. When I reached the commune office, he wasn’t there. Instead, he’d gone to
Nyange parish. When I arrived at the parish, I explained the problem to him and asked him to
send another policeman to help me. He gave the keys to the shop where the cartridges were
stored to Mbungira, a policeman, who is now free. I took ten cartridges and went to Gasave.
When I got there, I realised that I’d been given incorrect information. The soldier in question
wasn’t there. In fact he had left a grenade at home. I found bodies still bleeding and realised
that the victims had committed suicide with this explosive. As it was the late hours of the
evening, I went back home. It was only the next day that I went to give a report of my
mission. I recounted the story to them just as I have told it here. This time, the bourgmestre
and Mbakirirehe asked me to go and ensure the security of the Tutsis who had escaped the
massacres at Nyange church. The next day I asked the head of the communal police force to
find someone to replace me because I was so tired. Munyantarama was chosen. At around
3:00 p.m., I heard gunfire and I was told that it was the brigadier who was defending the
Tutsis. They said that in the attack he’d captured two people. I wasn’t on the spot when they
demolished Nyange church as I had gone home at the time. This was on 16 April and I was on
the road to Gasave.
The authorities played a leading role in the massacres of Tutsis. The proof is that they were
present at the time. The people at the head of the killings in our cellule are: Fulgence
Kayishema; Habarugira; Ndahimana; Ephrem Mukangahe; Kabalisa; Gashugi; and
Karangwa.
We haven’t heard of any rapes of women and girls. Even here in prison, people don’t talk of
that.
Everyone knew about President Habyarimana’s death on the morning of 7 April thanks to
Radio Rwanda. It broadcast a call for people to remain in their homes. The situation changed
immediately. You could read a certain discontent towards Tutsis on the faces of Hutus when
they met along the road. That didn’t surprise us because certain young people from the cellule
had been secretly taken to Kigali to get military training, preparing them to be interahamwe
militia. In the course of that morning, some Hutus were gathered in little groups along the
paths, although such cliques were forbidden. The killings began immediately in Murambi, the
neighbouring cellule. A Tutsi named Grégoire Ndakubana was the first victim in the whole
sector. Tutsis from other cellules went to give him a decent burial. Among the Tutsis who
came to bury him were Aloys Rwamasirabo, a shopkeeper in Cyambogo.
On 9 April, Ribakare, an important trader from Zegenya, called a meeting to incite Hutus to
begin killing. The meeting was to be held at his home, but Ribakare’s son, Ananias, was
fiercely opposed to this and so the meeting took place behind Babugaruta’s house. It was
there that they made their criminal plans. Ribakare was the person who planned the massacre
that followed. People considered observers participated in this meeting. The observers were
Hutus whose mothers were Tutsis. They came to the meeting so as not to distinguish
themselves from other Hutus. They took part in the meeting but never in the killings. They
were: Bacayi, now dead; Bizimana, Munyakayanza’s son, who lives in the cellule; and
Callixte Uzabakiriho, Evariste Ngerero’s son.
After the meeting the génocidaires went into action. They were led by Cyriaque Tugirimana
and François Gashugi, accompanied by Sylvère Harerimana, in Kibuye prison; Vianney
Shirubute, who lives in the cellule and has already confessed during the gacaca trials; Jean
Uwimana, imprisoned in Gisovu; Martin Dukuzeyezu, alias Gikweto who lives in Kigali
sector in Budaha; Kanyarangwe, from Sanza, whose news we don’t know; and Bosco
41
Kabayabaya’s son, in detention in Kibuye. During this attack, they killed the following
Tutsis:
• The old man, Thomas, Pascal’s father;

• Claver, Thomas’ son;
• A young boy called Umudonzi.
They were killed behind the door of the house they were hiding in which they had tried in
vain to stop the killers from getting into. They were murdered by Emmanuel Uwihanganye,
nicknamed “Rukara,” Baziguhiga and Subukino who lives in exile.
The gang continued the hunt for Tutsis all night as far as Ku Gatwa, at Alexandre Mbanda’s
house where they were Hutus who didn’t want to join their cause. They shouted loudly so as
to alert people: “A Hutu has just been killed, a Hutu has just been killed…” They used this
trick to persuade Hutus there that the Tutsis were killing them without their knowledge. The
Hutus at Mbanda’s house woke up and chased them until they fled. Among those villagers
who pursued them were Gakundi and Alexandre Mbanda, currently president of the Nyange
district court. When the peasants chased them, some of them scattered, leaving their weapons
there. Emmanuel Uwihanganye left his machete in the banana plantation belonging to
Gonzague, who gave it back to him after a while.
The next day, the same men invaded Félicien Kaributwa’s home. They stole cows and
slaughtered them in Michel Bahiga’s forest, but no Tutsis were caught because some of them
had already begun to take refuge in the parish. On 15 April, they went to lend a hand to the
militia in Nsibo and Cyambogo to massacre the Tutsis at the parish. Veneri, from Samaza’s
family, joined them.
On 16 April, the génocidaires from our cellule joined in the carnage of the refugees who were
at Nyange parish. Many people died there, in the courtyard and in the surrounding forest.
Their bodies were thrown into the mass graves at Zegenya called CND. There were three
mass graves dug by the bulldozers from ASTALDI. This road-building company had a site in
Zegenya. Théodat and Espérance were killed and thrown into the mass graves. Nearby was a
roadblock, set up by Kayishema and Ndahimana. Habarugira was in charge of it. He was
helped by the reservist, Boniface Kabalisa, in prison in Kigali, and other civilians like
Ntamugabumwe and Karemera, who received military training. There was also a big
roadblock called Ku Cyapa, which involved the cellules of Zegenya, Cyambogo and Kabuye
in Ngobagoba. Kayishema and Habarugira were in charge of it. Faustin Uworinaniye, a
reservist, was also on guard there. He is in detention in Kibuye.
The killers weren’t satisfied after the massacre at Nyange. They pursued the survivors who
had just escaped from the parish and murdered, amongst others, Célestin Munyanshoza,
murdered in Kabuye, Ngobagoba; Somayile Gombaniro, son of Fidèle Ndekezi; Somayile’s
cousin whose name we don’t know and his father-in-law. Other criminals joined the attackers,
namely Habyarimana, Kinyange’s son, now in Gisovu prison, and Higiro, Bapfakurera’s son,
who lives in Kabuye. They also killed people in other préfectures. Under the command of
Cyriaque Tugirimana and François Nsanzabaganwa, they went to Mushubati in Gitarama in
search of Théoneste Nsanzabaganwa, the current mayor of Budaha district responsible for
social affairs, though they didn’t find him.
Some Tutsis died in our cellule, others in Nyange parish. The victims were Ngarambe,
Rukaba’s son; Nshakubuntu’s wife; Eugène Ruzigana; Marthe Mukansanga; Catherine,
Munyanshoza and her three children; Alfred Rwagatwaro; Alphonse Rwagasana; Callixte
Rutayisire; Vénère Mukankwiro; Gaspard Kadengeri; Murungu; Callixte Nsabimana; Agnès
42
Mugirente; Havugimana; Tharcisse Kadegede; Edouard Bucya; Julienne Mukantwari;
Nkundimana; Mujawamariya; and Seburimbwa.
The victims’ houses were completely destroyed. First the tiles were taken, with the doors and
windows. Then came the demolition of the walls. The good tiles were taken by Gashugi and
his colleagues. They took property of value like radios, mattresses, armchairs and so on. All
the things in the homes of the teacher Augustin Rudakubana and the picture framer Gatare
were taken by the interahamwe. Paltry things went to the villagers. Livestock was their main
priority and they took the cows and goats of their victims.
The plots of land belonging to victims were shared by the prominent génocidaires. The killers
noted for their savagery took the lion’s share. The fields of cassava and beans were harvested
by the villagers in the cellule who knew the plots very well.
We know nothing about the rape of women and girls. Such actions weren’t even pointed out
during the gacaca trials.
Finally, there were various people who participated in the killings within our cellule. Not only
were our administrative authorities very active, but the shopkeepers also played a leading
part. They collaborated closely with the administrative officials. Here is the list of people at
the forefront of the killings in Zegenya:
• Cyriaque, Ribakare’s son. He was a shopkeeper and now lives in France;

• Jean Sekamanzi, a shopkeeper, lives in Congo;
• François Gashugi, a shopkeeper at Ku Cyapa, and is now abroad;
• Jean Marie Vianney Habarugira, our sector councillor, in Kibuye prison;
• Isidore Biraruro, responsable for Cyambogo who now lives there;
• Karemera, Niyonsaba’s son, in exile;
• Faustin Niyitegeka, Gatemberezi’s son, in Kibuye prison;
• Nkulikiyinka, in Kibuye prison;
• Papias, André Sezibera’s son, we don’t know where he is;
• Bizimana, Antoine’s son and Pierre Ngwije’s nephew. He lives abroad.
43
3. COMMENTS
From the interviews with detainees, survivors and other genocide witnesses, it emerges that
the genocide in Nyange was systematically planned by the leaders of Kivumu commune,
conspiring with local shopkeepers. The commune authorities were also supported by
extremist parties, CDR and MRND, and educated people. The clergy from Nyange parish
were also involved. The officials knew how to mobilise all the forces—the police, the local
militia and the gendarmes.
The administrative authorities held numerous meetings to plan the extermination of the
refugees in the parish. It was difficult for us to find eye witnesses who took part in these
meetings for two reasons: the prisoners interviewed told us that they had not been invited and
that the planners met from time to time behind closed doors. Some of the leaders are in
Europe or the Congo such as Grégoire Ndahimana, the former bourgmestre of Kivumu,
Télésphore Ndungutse, president of the local militia and Gaspard Kanyarukiga, a shopkeeper.
Father Seromba is in detention at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in
Rwanda. Some of the perpetrators are in Kibuye prison.
Although survivors and detainees interviewed provided African Rights with a relatively clear
and consistent account of events in Nyange, during the gacaca hearings, it was less evident
that people supported the exposure of the truth. Only a few peasants tried to reconstruct the
facts, while others remained silent. A few genocide survivors tried in vain to recount the little
information they possessed. They are impatiently waiting for justice to be done.
44

The History of The Genocide in Nyange Sector - August 2003 - African Rights

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2. HISTORY OF THE GENOCIDE BY CELLULE

2.1 Cyambogo Cellule

2.2 Kanyinya Cellule

2.3 Murambi Cellule

2.4 Nsibo Cellule

2.5 Nyange Cellule

2.6 Vungu Cellule

2.7 Cellule Zegenya

2.1 Cyambogo cellule

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison

The days immediately following the announcement of President Habyarimana’s death

On 8 April, several wounded members of Grégoire Ndakubana’s family, from Murambi

Events after 13 April

Abuses committed after the slaughter at Nyange church

Host families Victims

Faustin Uworinaniye described the large-scale search at the beginning of May.

Tireless, we attacked Nzabigerageza’s house where we found a woman and two

A list of the leading génocidaires

• Télésphore Ndungutse, the vice-president of the MRND. He is among the organisers

b) The Genocide Survivors and Other Witnesses

7 April and afterwards

These people were behind the killings committed in Cyambogo:

• Fulgence Kayishema, IPJ, in exile;

2.2 Kanyinya Cellule

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison

b) The Genocide Survivors and Other Witnesses

2.3 Murambi Cellule

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison

On the morning of 7 April, he asked certain Hutus to attack Ndakubana’s family. We

b) The Genocide Survivors and Other Witnesses

• MDR, which we baptised “Rukokoma,” represented by Jean Kayitare. He was a

• Grégoire Ndahimana, bourgmestre of Kivumu commune;

The perpetrators were:

• Alfred Ruzirabwoba, in Kibuye prison;

• Télésphore Ndungutse, a teacher at Kigali-Budaha primary school. He was the one

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison

N° Name of the head of Number of victims

Nsibo residents killed outside their cellule:

b) The Genocide Survivors and Other Witnesses

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison

On 13 April, Innocent Gasherebuka, from Nsibo, appointed himself leader of a militia,

These people were involved in the incident:

• Mpatswenumugabo, an RPA soldier, from Kakinyoni cellule, Kivumu sector;

Names of the victims

Names of the victims

• François Mpatswenumugabo, RPA soldier from Kivumu sector;

2.6 Vungu Cellule

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison

b) The Genocide Survivors and Other Witnesses

a) The Detainees in Kibuye Prison

Adrien Niyitegeka worked as a communal policeman in Kivumu. He spoke of what happened

b) The Genocide Survivors and Other Witnesses

• The old man, Thomas, Pascal’s father;

• Cyriaque, Ribakare’s son. He was a shopkeeper and now lives in France;

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