During the trial of Dr. Sosthène Munyemana at the Paris Assize Court, multiple witnesses referred to the Tumba sector office where Munyemana held the keys as a “transit to death” for Tutsi during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
One witness, identified as Witness X, recounted hiding in a sorghum field on May 6, 1994. He claimed to have recognized Munyemana’s voice as he searched houses for Tutsi. On May 14, the day of Witness X’s arrest, Munyemana was again seen with the keys to the sector office. The witness was first taken to the Ruganzu bar, where a militiaman named Remera mocked him by singing about the arrest of the “king of Tumba.”
A Site of Death
Witness X described the sector office as a “place of transit towards death.” Reports indicate that eight Tutsi were initially detained in a house called No. 60 before being transferred to the office. An estimated 400 Tutsi were held at the sector office before being killed.
Conflicting Statements on the Keys
While Munyemana disputes the accusations, he admits to possessing the keys, stating he opened the office for Witness X. However, his statements about the keys have varied. Initially, he claimed to be the sole holder of the key. Later, he stated he never gave the key to anyone, before suggesting in 2016 that there may have been multiple copies.
The Trial
Dr. Munyemana’s trial, which began on November 14, 2023, focuses on allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity committed between April 7 and June 22, 1994, in Butare Prefecture, where he worked as a gynecologist. The testimonies continue to shed light on the horrors endured during this dark chapter of history.
