1994 Rwandan genocide testimony by Albert Rugina

Albert Rugina, a boy from Commune Masango in Gitarama Prefecture, describes how his commune was attacked on April 20, 1994 after neighboring communes had been attacked. Some of his family members were killed during the attack while others sought refuge in Gitwe, Kigoma, or Byimana. Albert went to Byimana where a catholic priest chased them away and called a gang to chase the refugees away. He left Byimana and on the way Kabgayi came to a check point erected by a gang where the refugees had to pay a bribe or be beaten. He describes how Tutsi were drowned in rivers or killed and thrown in pit latrines and trenches. Refugees at Kabgayi lived in pathetic conditions and rarely had food. Interahamwe militia and government soldiers frequently visited Kabgayi to take people away to be killed. Albert describes how gangs of Twa and Interahamwe militia were given orders by senior government officials of Masango commune to kill Tutsi. He concludes his testimony by describing how refugees were attacked and how RPF Inkotanyi saved refugees at Kabgayi and took them to Bugesera.