1994 Rwandan genocide testimony by Hyacinthe Murekatete

Hyacinthe Murekatete, a girl from Buhanda Cellule, Nyakogo Sector of Commune Masango in Gitarama Prefecture, describes her life between October 1, 1990 and December 31, 1994. In her area mass killing of Tutsi started on the evening of April 6, 1994. Interahamwe began by burning Tutsi homes, then stole their livestock and other property. Her family hid at Bisoro where her mother divided the 5000FRW she had among her children in case they were forced to escape in different directions. Hyacinthe was taken in by a family, but they advised her that her chances of survival were higher in Kabgayi. On May 25, 1994, she was arrested on the way to Kabgayi and taken to be drowned in river Nyabarongo with other Tutsi. They were all beaten, insulted, then all males were chopped to pieces. One Interahamwe pushed her into the river, but she was saved and released by another member of the Interahamwe. Of the 50 people taken to the river, only 15 were spared. At this point, she decided to take a risk and go back to her home in Cellule Buhanda because she felt she would be killed irrespective of where she went. She briefly reunited with some of her family before escaping to Cyangugu, then crossing the border to Bukavu in Zaire (Modern day Democratic Republic of Congo). By that time, Hyacinthe had developed a major infection in a wound on her spine and had to be operated on and hospitalized for 2 months. She goes on to explain how she was traumatized, tells of her return to Rwanda in 1995, and the challenges her family face.