When the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi started, hopeless Tutsi who were targeted could go places to find haven and most of them flocking churches and church run facilities believing no killings could take place in holy sanctuaries. Little did they know that humanity had been lost and bad leadership had propagated seeds of hatred among the Hutu militiamen who could not fear to enter churches to take away lives of innocent people who hid there. When the Genocide began, thousands of Tutsi sought refuge at Saint Paul Catholic Centre located in Nyarugenge district. There, they received protection by the then priest in charge of Saint Paul, Fr. Celestin Hakizimana. Hakizimana fed the Tutsi who sought refuge and stepped in to protect them whenever there was an imminent attack on the centre. Sometimes he could pay the price in cash for angry killers to leave, according to survivors’ accounts. However with only prayers and his service robes, the priest’s chances of protecting the 2000 Tutsi camping in his church dwindled with each passing day. “One day they came and picked seven young men and took them, the priest insisted but in vain, the militiamen said we had nothing to worry about as they were going for questioning and would return. It was the last time we saw them,” Marie-Grace Mukabyagaju, one of survivors at Saint Paul says. For Mukabyagaju, having to go through her experience when she arrived at Saint Paul, 10 days after the genocide started is a long story. Despite having lived closer to the church, the journey was not a smooth one. She remembers that it took them a number of days to make it to the facility as the area was surrounded by killers. “When we arrived, there were a few people and we decided to remain in the rooms hiding. We were very scared and asked our children to keep silent. We had to do everything in those rooms, including easing ourselves,” she says But despite being under protection and having received food and water, the militiamen finally lost their patience and launched attacks on the church. “Father Hakizimana tried to feed us but water pipes were locked and we could not get water to drink. We would buy water from people around us but Father was worried that we would be poisoned,” she adds. Almost quarter a century after the Genocide against the Tutsi was put to an end, survivors from Saint Paul vividly remember two particular days. The first day is when the interahamwe militiamen and then leaders came and picked about one hundred of Tutsi, tied them up and took them away. All were killed and some of them were dumped in cesspools which later turned into mass graves. The second one is when the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) launched an operation that saw over 2000 of Tutsi rescued. In Mukabyagaju’s own words It was June 16 at around 1a.m when amid fierce crossfire between RPA and Ex- FAR, the former snaked into Saint Paul and started a rescue operation. RPA Soldiers came and knocked on our doors identifying themselves as Inkotanyi but we could not believe it, it was not until when one person we knew came in and identified himself that we opened the door. They gathered us in one place and asked us to wait and its only later that we realized that there was another mission to rescue survivors from Sainte Famille Church. We went down and crossed the road towards Kinamba before we split into groups with the first going to Gisozi while the other headed to UTEXRWA. When we got to where we were to gather, we were brought food (maize and beans) but we could not eat because we were tired and more thirsty than hungry but unfortunately, they didn’t have water. After we had rested, they helped us to get to Batsinda where RPA soldiers selected those who were strong and escorted them to Kabuye while the weak were driven in trucks. We spent three days at Kabuye as we were fed, counseled and given clothes as most of us were half naked or in rags. After some days, we were taken to Kabuga town where we stayed with others who had been rescued, we were protected and supported by RPA soldiers until the genocide was stopped and we returned in Kigali. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
