Kwibuka Timeline - April 10, 1994: Church sides with killers

April 10, 1994 goes down as one of the darkest days of the Genocide against the Tutsi, as Tutsis were hunted and massacred on a horrifying scale. Amidst the tragedy, the French continued their support for the genocidal government led by Jean Kambanda. France-led evacuations to Paris continued, with 94 orphans (mostly children of FAR soldiers) from the Sainte-Agathe orphanage, sponsored by Agathe Kanziga, wife of the late president, Juvenal Habyarimana, being evacuated via Bangui to Paris. ALSO READ: Timeline: April 7, 1994; Genocide spreads across the country Accompanying them were 34 individuals, whose identities were not disclosed. On April 10, Jérôme Bicamumpaka, then Minister of Foreign Affairs in the genocidal government, met with the French Ambassador to Rwanda, Jean Michel Marlaud, requesting French forces' intervention to control the situation. The intervention he meant was France deploying alongside the then Rwandan armed forces in the fight against the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA). France was not asking for an end to the massacres, which for the genocidaires was a kind of moral support to continue committing massacres without any fear. Catholic Bishops mourn Habyarimana In a press release written in French on April 10 by the Bishop of Kabgayi, Thaddée Nsengiyumva, and published in the Catholic Church Journal Osservatore Romano, the Catholic bishops of Rwanda expressed dismay following the death of Juvenal Habyarimana and shock at the number of assassinations perpetrated since that day. However, they refrained from addressing the massacres of the Tutsi, referring to the situation in the country as ‘disturbances’ and avoiding naming the perpetrators of the massacres. The bishops paid tribute to the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) in their press release, omitting any mention of FAR's role in the massacres. Furthermore, they expressed support for the establishment of a new government, a stance tantamount to supporting the genocidal regime. ALSO READ: Timeline - April 8: President Sindikubwabo’s govt incites community, killings intensify Massacres in Rushashi On March 10, 1994, many Tutsi were killed in Rwankuba at the Catholic parish, near the offices of the Rushashi Sector formerly Rushashi Sub-prefecture and around Rushashi court, in Shyombwe as well as at the Kinyari shopping center. The place was called CND in 1994. Planning meetings for the massacres of Tutsi were organised in Rushashi, some at the residence and offices of Bourgmestre of the former Musasa Commune, Aloys Havugimana, while others were organized at the headquarters of the Kigali Ngali Prefecture which were led by the Prefect Francois Karera, also at the office of the Rushashi Sub-prefecture, at that of the Rushashi Commune, at the Shyombwe Sector, at the EAV Rushashi and at the office of the Joma Sector. Massacres in Ngororero, Satinsyi From 8 to 10 April 1994, in Ngororero at the former headquarters of the MRND and the office of the Ngororero Sub-prefecture, in Gisenyi Prefecture, many Tutsi from the Satinsyi, Ramba and Gaseke Communes were killed. Some of them were burned to death with the use of gasoline. Many meetings which planned the massacres were held in the offices of what were formerly the Sub-prefecture of Ngororero and the Communes Ramba, Gaseke and Satinskyi. Massacres in Bugesera In 1994, when the Genocide had just started, the Tutsi who lived in Mayange areas of Bugesera took refuge at Rebero hill, to join their counterparts in order to try to collectively defend themselves. On April 10, 1994, soldiers from the Gako military camp attacked and shot the Tutsi who were on the hill, leaving behind only a few survivors, many of whom the Interahamwe came and killed afterwards. The main organiser of this massacre was Lieutenant-Colonel Pheneas Munyarugarama who commanded the Gako military camp. ALSO READ: Kwibuka Timeline - April 9, 1994: France evacuates citizens amid escalating Tutsi massacres Massacres at Gahanga Church Since April 8, 1994, when the Genocide had intensified, many Tutsi from the Gahanga surburb of Kigali took refuge in the Gahanga church. On April 9, 1994, the local authorities and the Interahamwe asked the Hutus who were in the church to leave, but the Tutsi were not allowed to depart. On April 10, 1994 all the Hutu who had taken refuge there left, and only the Tutsi remained. On the same day, attacks on the church began. The Tutsi resisted and repelled the Interahamwe, but their resistance did not last as the government soldiers arrived with better weapons. Many Tutsis were killed, and after the Interahamwe came to finish off those who were still alive. Almost all of the Tutsi who were in the church were massacred. The few survivors were seriously injured. Today, the church was turned into a Genocide memorial site containing more than 7,000 bodies of victims. Massacres in Rwinkeke, Karambi, Murundi In a Catholic church in Rwinkeke in Karambi, Murundi Sector, many Tutsi were massacred on April 10, 1994 by local Hutu extremists, supported by Interahamwe. The victims were thrown into pits which were dug near the church. The killers were led by Appolinaire Gahirwa who was convicted of the crime of genocide, but completed his sentence and was released. Widespread massacres across the country More massacres were perpetrated at the Nyarubuye Parish, Rusumo, organised by bourgmestre Sylvestre Gacumbitsi. On the same day, the Interahamwe massacred the Tutsi in Karambi, Cyimbogo Commune (in former Cyangugu). Between April 10-11, there was a massacre in the church of Zaza (Kibungo), where more than 1,000 Tutsi were killed. On April 10, a great massacre took place at the Kiziguro Parish organised by Jean-Baptiste Gatete, bourgmestre of Murambi, 3,500 to 3,700 dead.

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Kwibuka Timeline - April 10, 1994: Church sides with killers