Rwinkwavu: How a mining area turned into one of the deadliest killing grounds

In Rwinkwavu, a former mining area in Kayonza District, death came not only in churches, schools, or open fields during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. For many victims, it came in the darkness of deep mining pits, where they were thrown, some still alive and left with no way out. More than three decades later, survivors say the atrocities committed in the former mining area remain among the most brutal episodes of the genocide in Kayonza. Thirty-two years on, some of the victims’ remains are still beyond reach. Survivors explain that the shafts are extremely deep and connect to underground water, making any recovery effort too dangerous. Anyone attempting to enter risks losing their own life. In the immediate aftermath of the genocide, thick vegetation concealed the area, delaying the discovery that bodies had been dumped in the pits. The memorial stands near what was once a mining concession operated by a company known as Redemi. Before the genocide, the company recruited miners and supervisors from across the country, particularly from northern Rwanda. According to survivors, many of these supervisors and workers subscribed to PARMEHUTU ideology. They later joined local militias, miners already working in the area, and former soldiers in hunting down Tutsi miners and families living near the concession. “Redemi brought miners from northern Rwanda together with their supervisors. Many of them supported PARMEHUTU and played a major role in killing Tutsi who worked in the mines or lived nearby,” said Didas Ndindabahizi, chairperson of Ibuka in Kayonza District. Survivors say the presence of Redemi’s workforce accelerated the killings, as many miners were familiar with the terrain, tunnels, and hiding places where Tutsi families sought refuge. Thousands of Tutsi fled to Rwinkwavu, believing the mines, tunnels, and surrounding hills would offer protection. Instead, attackers encircled the area. The perpetrators included local militias, miners, and former soldiers under the command of Colonel Rwagafirita. Survivors recount how victims were beaten, hacked, or shot before being dumped into the mine shafts, while others were thrown in alive. “What makes Rwinkwavu different is that people were thrown into deep pits excavated for mining. Many were still alive when they were thrown in, and the pits were then covered so that anyone who survived could not escape,” Ndindabahizi added. Among the survivors is Aloys Rangira, whose wife was one of only three people rescued alive from one of the pits after Rwanda Patriotic Front soldiers arrived in the area. The shaft from which she was rescued is separate from the two pits that still contain bodies. Rangira says the true number of victims may never be known, as many people fled to Rwinkwavu from surrounding areas in search of safety. “Many people were killed in these pits. We cannot know the exact number,” he said. “Others who had come here for refuge were also killed across the area. Mining supervisors and workers from northern Rwanda killed many of the Tutsi here in Rwinkwavu.” Jean Claude Bazembare, a survivor from Murama Sector who hid in the pits during the genocide, says preserving the site is essential. “Coming here to remember helps ensure that the history of the genocide committed here is not erased,” Bazembare said. “Anyone who visits can see for themselves and understand how the Tutsi were killed.” Authorities in Kayonza say Rwinkwavu will remain one of the district’s five preserved genocide memorials, alongside Kabarondo, Ruramira, Rukara, and Mukarange. For survivors, the mine shafts of Rwinkwavu remain silent graves, powerful evidence of how a place once defined by work and survival became one of the deadliest killing grounds in Kayonza. Today, the Rwinkwavu Genocide Memorial holds the remains of 3,840 victims, but two deep mine shafts still contain bodies that have never been recovered.

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Rwinkwavu: How a mining area turned into one of the deadliest killing grounds