Humanity, nobility and brilliance are some of the common words being used to describe the last Queen of Rwanda, Rosalie Gicanda who was murdered during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, on April 20.

Gicanda, who was married to King Mutara III Rudahigwa since she was around 14 years old, was considered humble by her family and those who had the chance to interact with her. It is said that she remained accessible to the population even after the abolition of the monarchy when Rwanda got its independence.

She even inspired some works of art, an example being Cecile Kayirebwa’s song "Inyange muhorakeye” where she sings about the Queen’s beauty and generosity, among other things.

Following the rise of anti-Tutsi extremism in the early 90s, Gicanda’s life was threatened, and it became even worse when each member of the genocidal government’s cabinet would be evaluated on the number of Tutsi killed in one’s particular area of birth during the 1994 Genocide.

The resolution had been made during an April 8 meeting convened by Theoneste Bagosora, then a powerful permanent secretary of the ministry of defence and that has been accused of masterminding the shooting of Habyarimana’s plane.

In the meeting where the interim government was formed was also where cabinet members were encouraged to scale up the killings in their areas of birth.

In a demonstration that he was leading by example, Théodore Sindikubwabo, then interim president immediately travelled to his birthplace of Butare to "launch” the Genocide against Tutsi, on April 19.

He made an infamous speech that openly called upon Hutu people to exterminate Tutsi, and that they shouldn’t act like it wasn’t their business.

Sindikubwabo also condemned those who were not "working” (killing the Tutsi) and instructed them to "get out of their comfort zones and work.”

The following day at around 11:00 am, detachment of soldiers commanded by 2nd Lt. Pierre Bizimana invaded the home of Queen Gicanda where they abducted her and six others but leaving behind her bed-ridden mother.

They took them behind the Ethnographic Museum where they were shot, and the killers returned to her house to finish off her mother two days later.

It is also reported that Queen Gicanda was executed under the orders of Capt. Idelphonse Nizeyimana, the head of intelligence and military operations at an elite military training school, Ecole Superiere des Sous-Officiers. 

The murder of Gicanda was breaking a taboo; if she could be murdered, no Tutsi could survive in Butare, one Noel Kambanda said on his Twitter.

Indeed, her killing marked the beginning of the Genocide in the Butare area.

Today, like every April 20, the Queen’s relatives and friends, officials and residents of the Southern province lay wreaths and bow to pay her tribute at the mausoleum of Mwima in Nyanza district, where she lies next to her husband, the King.

One of the Queen’s murderers, Capt. Nizeyimana was sentenced to 35 years of prison by the ICTR after being found guilty of genocide crimes.