During the trial of Laurent Bucyibaruta at the Paris Assize Court, a witness testified that the former prefect of Gikongoro advised residents in Kibeho to claim that the owners of burned houses had fled. According to the witness, Bucyibaruta gave this instruction during a meeting, anticipating inquiries from outsiders about the whereabouts of the homeowners.
The witness, a 58-year-old resident of Kibeho who had been convicted by the Gacaca courts for crimes related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, testified via videoconference from Kigali. He recounted attacks carried out by gendarmes from Gikongoro, supported by communal police officers from Mubuga. Meanwhile, Hutu civilians hunted down and killed Tutsi refugees.
Details of the Attacks
The witness described how firearms were wielded by gendarmes and communal police, while the civilian attackers used traditional weapons such as machetes, clubs, and sticks. The attacks targeted Tutsi refugees from the communes of Rwamiko, Mubuga, and Muganza. Men, women, and children were among the victims, all brutally killed.
When asked why children were targeted, the witness responded, “Because of the bad authorities and the orders they received.”
He also clarified that the parish church of Kibeho was burned during the attacks, though the Church of the Apparitions, built later, remained untouched. Estimating the number of victims, he suggested around 40,000 lives were lost. “Our Tutsi neighbors died there. People didn’t deserve to die. Leaders should answer for these crimes,” he concluded.
Survivor’s Account
Another witness, a survivor from Kibeho, recounted that the parish church was set ablaze during the third attack. The attackers used gasoline to ignite branches at the church gates. However, as they could not light fires at all the doors, some refugees managed to escape. The witness himself fled to Karama in Butare Prefecture with his parents but lost several family members, including his sister and five children.
At the end of his testimony, the survivor reflected on Bucyibaruta’s role:
“I knew Laurent Bucyibaruta as the prefect of Gikongoro. He betrayed Rwandans and failed to support those under his authority. I wish he would return to Rwanda to ask for forgiveness. Despite the traumas we endured, I chose to rebuild myself. The killers I see from time to time have asked for forgiveness during the Gacaca courts. What pains me are those who deny the genocide and have never sought forgiveness.”
Trial Proceedings
The Paris Assize Court began hearing direct witnesses in Bucyibaruta’s trial on Tuesday. The former prefect of Gikongoro faces charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. The trial, which commenced on May 9, 2022, is scheduled to conclude on July 12, 2022.
