Rubavu: Residents blame bad governance for the 1994 Tutsi genocide

Brig. General Eric Murokore and other dignitaries joined Mudende residents to remember genocide victims for 21st time

Ever since the world was shaken by the horrifying pictures of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis -in which over a million lives were lost. Residents of Mudende sector of Rubavu district on Wednesday blamed the Tutsi as a result of bad governance.

During the 21^st commemoration event held in Mudende sector almost a dozen of residents were giving testimonies and all had something in something in common as they said that bad governance was the main cause of the 1994 Tutsi genocide.

Like Theoneste Ndagijimana in his testimony, revealed that the elite and wealthy Tutsi in former Mutura commune were killed after being imprisoned and tortured on allegations that they were members of “Inkotanyi”.

Ndagijimana explained that soldiers from Bigogwe military camp went in Gishwati forest where fired gunshots and arrested Tutsi the next day on false allegations they made the attack.

It’s in this regard that Ndabarinze, the then commune leader was removed from his post as a leader and later killed along with his family when he tried to plead on behalf of the Tutsi.

Over 800 Tutsi in Mudende were killed by the army who bombed them after a stiff resistance against the Interahamwe that attacked them. He added “due to bad governance of that time the army was used to kill the people they were supposed to protect”.

The western region Reserve Forces Commander, Brig. General Eric Murokore said that it’s shameful that people were killed by the army that was supposed to protect them.

Brig. General Murokore added that FPR Inkotanyi deployed extra courage to combat genocide and to maintain security, urging residents to fight ideologies and comfort the genocide survivors.