Betrayed by friends, saved by a hero

Nothing is more painful than being betrayed by a friend. From Brutus who stabbed his friend — the emperor Julius Caesar, to Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus with a kiss, betrayal of a friend is considered one of the most inhuman of crimes one can commit. And yet, in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, thousands of students in Primary, students in Secondary and Tertiary schools around the country turned against friends they had known for years, colleagues they had shared meals with, played with, laughed with, simply because they were Tutsi. When the Genocide started, students were in second term holidays, and many were killed in their respective neighbourhoods by neighbours they had known since they were little children. In some schools though, like ESI, G Scolaire Kigeme and Ntendezi Veterinary School in the western part of the country, some students were still in boarding school when the massacre of Tutsi across the country started. Surrounded on every side by colleagues who were harassing and plotting against them, Tutsi students in schools turned to their teachers and other staff to protect them. Sadly, in many instances even these whose duty was to protect the students turned their backs on them and handed them over to their would-be assassins. That was not always the case, though. Some heroic directors of schools risked their own lives to save the children for whom they were really guardians. One such hero was Dr. Ignace Gasana, the then Director of Ecole Secondaire de Kaduha(ESI Kaduha) in Kaduha sector, Nyamagabe. Recalling his former director’s heroism, Ignace Musangamfura, now 36 and a father of two cannot help shedding tears when he narrates how their own classmates betrayed them, and attempted to kill him along with other Tutsi in Ecole Secondaire de Kaduha (ESI Kaduha). Hadn’t it been for the love and protection of Dr. Gasana, the 39 Tutsi in the school would not have escaped death. Musangamfura says even before the Genocide actually started, they had already started seeing signs of hatred for the Tutsi. “In schools, some teachers used to threaten us, especially when the Arusha negotiations started because, they said, Tutsi would take over power and impose a dictatorship over the Hutu,” he recalls. Bad to worse But the worst started after the crash of the presidential jet on April 6, 1994. The following morning, the director informed the school of what had happened and asked the students and staff to remain calm. Despite the director’s assurances, Musangamfura and the rest of the Tutsi in the school knew that things were going to take a turn for the worse following President Habyarimana’s death. “We understood that all was not well for us because, we asked ourselves, ‘If our classmates used to harass us before, how much worse would it be now?’” he narrates. They were not wrong “Some Hutu students started forming small groups and discussing our fate. We were supposed to leave school the following morning, but the director suggested that we all stay.” The stay was very challenging. From dawn to dusk, the Tutsi, who were only 39 were threatened by over 150 of their Hutu classmates. The Tutsi students tried in vain to gather the rest of the school so that they could discuss what was going on in the hope of getting a breakthrough, but their classmates refused them even the chance to talk. Instead, every time the director, who also worked at the nearby Kaduha Hospital, was away, the harassment simply increased. “I felt so helpless” As the violence that had rocked the country started to increase, residents of the area surrounding the school, started to flee to Kaduha Parish. Musangamfura, who hails from the neighbourhood, became more worried. “From the school window, I saw my family members fleeing to Kaduha parish. What hurt me the most was that I could not even greet them. From school, I even saw our house being torched, and I could do nothing about it. I felt so helpless.” April 21 was a red day for the Tutsi in Kaduha, when the mass killing targeted thousands of Tutsi at the Catholic parish. Musangamfura and his colleagues saw the unfolding terror from the boarding school, and the horrifying cries of Tutsi being killed filled the air. Their director, who spent a number of days at the hospital trying to save some victims of the violence who had escaped with injuries would tell them stories on his return that showed them just how widespread the killings were. Betrayed by friends Things went from bad to worse when their Hutu classmates started to communicate with the killers on the outside. “They (Interahamwe) told our Hutu classmates that killings were going smoothly outside, and that they should also get rid of the Tutsi within the school.” “On a couple of occasions, soldiers even came into the school and attempeted to force the director to kill the Tutsi himself or to give them up, but he refused to do it. Instead he negotiated with them and was able to bribe them with some money to let us be,” Musangamfura says. Late in April, the school head boy, one Cleophas, a Hutu, whispered to some of the Tutsi that the director had abandoned them and given up on trying to protect them. Speaking with what seemed like genuine concern, he encouraged them to run off saying, “If you go out, I think you will be safer there.’” Following his advice, eight boys escaped on April 25, and headed towards the city of Gikongoro, intending eventually to reach Burundi in the South. Early in the morning, they had reached Cyanika, three kilometers from the city, when Interahamwe apprehended them and asked what they were doing outside. They claimed they had left the school to look for food because it had run out. Although the militia were suspicious, they let them go. Soon, however, they came across another gang of Interahamwe. This time they fled to a nearby school in Cyanika. They were returned to Kaduha but had already lost one colleague. The director was surprised that the Hutu students lied to expose the Tutsi to the killers. To protect the Tutsi students who were in danger, the director asked parents of the Hutu students to come and take their children home. Only the Tutsi remained, along with two other residents from Ruhengeri. Freedom! On May 1, 1994, the director managed to contact Good Samaritans who were on a mission in Rwanda. He managed to convince them to come and save the children he still had under his care. A few days later, they took over one hundred Tutsi from different hiding places to Murambi in Nyamagabe district. Unlike at school where the director had done his best to feed them, Musangamfura and his colleagues, once outside, survived on 32 pieces of biscuits for two days in Murambi. Soon they had an opportunity to write to the Rwanda Patriotic Front which negotiated custody for them and took them to Maraba (now Huye district) which was already in its control. Some joine the army, while others whose family survived joined their relatives. Others, like Musangamfura who had none left in their family, were sheltered in an orphanage until graduation from secondary school. Building a future Later, Musangamfura and his colleagues would get scholarships from a non-government organisation. Musangamfura went to GS Saint Esprit, Nyanza, a teacher training centre. He was the in-charge of discipline before moving to the Independent University of Kigali, where he studied Management. After graduation in 2007, he was recruited in a bank, where went on to become a branch manager. Musangamfura is now happily married and God has blessed the couple with two children. “My director inspired me to love people for who they are irrespective of their background and I will support any idea that helps fight the Genocide.” “It’s unfortunate that I cannot see my dear director so that I thank him. Sadly, he left the country a while back”, Musangamfura concludes. *** GENCOCIDE: WOULD YOU BE SAFE AT SCHOOL? Sabin Nyandwi, S.3, GS Nyarubaka and father of threeUnlike in the past, students and teachers have a very good relationship today. I don’t see the reason why I should worry when I am at school since I trust my teachers and other staff members at school. Xaverine Uwurukundo, S.6 GS Nyarubaka and school head girlIf anything wrong happened at school, we would stay at school, and for sure, we would be safe. We have participated in Ndi Umunyarwanda talks and have learnt how to appreciate one another. Thacien Nsengayire, headmaster, GS NyarubakaIf anything wrong happens, the first reaction would be to inform the Police. But more importantly, we regularly discuss Rwandan history at school, the DOs and DON’Ts of the Rwandan society, and both students and teachers are understanding the idea. We have also developed a cordial relationship between the teachers and students through discussions. Eric Kwihangana, Immaculate Conception CollegeWe do not have to live in fear any more. The school welcomes everyone and I thank God that I now feel safe at school. Teachers here create an atmosphere that makes school feel like home. I am free with all of them and as a science student, I have to be much closer to my teachers. Alice Imanizabayo, Immaculate Conception College I have a good relationship with my teachers. I don’t fear them because a teacher is someone you learn from. I like my teachers a lot, and they help me love the school.