We Spoke to Former Rwandan Genocidaires
VICE - 4 minutes ago
By Sally Hayden Jun 29 2014
Photos by the author
Editor's note: All names have been changed.
At the entrance to Nyarugenge Prison in Kigali, Rwanda, armed guards
stand beside painted letters that read, "No Corruption." Through the
gates, I spot guards escorting inmates around. Prisoners wear pink if
they are awaiting a sentence, and orange if they are serving one.
During the three-month long Rwandan Genocide 20 years ago, 800,000
Tutsis and moderate Hutus
died at the hands of their friends, neighbors, and colleagues. After
the catastrophe ended, a huge amount of people needed to be
prosecuted, but there were limited resources to conduct the trials. To
speed up the prosecution procedure, a system of local justice called
gacaca courts was brought in. Trials were held in villages, where
victims and their families publicly confronted the accused before
their communities.
Gaining access to a prison here is a complicated affair that involves
collecting and submitting several letters of recommendation,
culminating in written permission from the Rwanda Correctional
Services. After supplying all the necessary proofs, I wait on a couch
in the reception area and then speak to two former Rwandan
genocidaires: Justine, a 50-year-old woman wearing a polka-dot orange
head scarf, and Thomas, a 54-year-old man who wears a watch on his
wrist and shakes my hand before he sits down.
VICE: Why are you in prison?
Justine: I'm here because of the genocide issues. I was part of the
ruling party, and I did participate in what happened to my neighbors.
When the genocide started, a roadblock was set up beside my house.
They said they were trying to capture the RPF [Rwandan Patriotic
Front] soldiers there. I didn't know it was a genocide; I just
believed that this was true. It continued, and my neighbors were
killed. To save my family members, I began killing people too and was
in the Interahamwe [a Hutus militia].
How long is your sentence?
I've been in prison since 1996, but in 2007 I was released and allowed
go home. But later they pressed more charges against me, and after
three years, I was brought back again. I had already confessed to
everything that I did and had asked for forgiveness. I thought it was
over—people tell me that I'll be here for a lifetime.
Why were you brought back to prison?
They set up the gacaca courts, and everybody comes to blame you when
you're being judged. They say that one person killed all the people in
their area, when that would not have been possible.
Many people were affected, and as time passes and they haven't found
it, they want someone to blame. They get angry and say things, and the
list of things you are blamed for keeps getting longer. The gacaca
courts meant that there were a lot of accusations directed at one
person. I had no chance to say what exactly I had done—they wanted me
to say that I was someone who was killing everybody. The people who
are having charges pressed on them now are not receiving charges from
the people they harmed. It's the government taking issue with them
now.
The crimes we committed, we confessed to them long ago. The survivors
have already pressed their charges. The people from my area have
forgiven me; it's the government now that is pressing charges that are
not true.
So for me, more accusations came up later. There was also a person in
my area who shared a name with me, and died in August 1994. They're
probably pressing her charges. All I know is I said what I did and
confessed to that already, but later I failed to get someone to defend
me from the further charges. In the gacaca courts, if you didn't have
a supporter, then you lost.
Photo: Children who died during the Rwandan Genocide
It's still incomprehensible to a lot of people that so many Rwandans
were mobilized to go out and kill people. Do you have any idea how so
many people ended up participating?
I was working at the airport as a receptionist. We used to read
newspapers. When [President Habyarimana's] airplane was shot down, it
was read out on RTLM [Radio-Télévision Libre des Milles Collines].
Those newspapers and radio stations gave and planted hatred in the
people. After the plane crashed, they said you had to be watchful,
that there were people around you who wanted you dead. It's likely
that the media contributed a lot. RTLM told people that it was getting
its information from the Tutsi radio. When you read the newspapers, it
puts something in your head. And I read it because I needed to know
what was going on.
The genocide came to an end because of the victory of the RPA, a
majority Tutsi army. How did you react to that?
At the beginning when the genocide ended, we were so shocked. We
thought if we had killed that we would be killed, but instead they
gave us the best treatment. We got water, food, showers. We were never
mistreated. We live in the best way, unlike the survivors—we watched
films about how the others were treated. People who say the government
of Rwanda is bad are wrong. If you're sick, you get medicine. We can't
visit our families, but they can visit us.
Is there any distinction made inside the prison between those who
participated in the genocide and those who were convicted for other
offenses?
No. I'm touched by the way all the prisoners live together. With my
life sentence, I associate with people who are just serving 30 days.
Sometimes people feel guilty about that because of the terrible things
they did and how they are now treated. There's no distinction here
based on people's crimes. The only separation is between those who
have kids, because they need more attention.
Do you think that there would be a possibility of the tensions ever
flaring up again in Rwanda?
If the government continues to teach people the bad impact that the
past had, it won't repeat itself. It's important to plant love in
them.

How long is your sentence?
Thomas: My sentence is 30 years.
Many say that the media, along with the politicians, played a large
role in mobilizing so many Rwandans to commit such huge atrocities.
Would you agree?
The fire was lighted by the media, because the leaders used it to get
their message across. People say the genocide was sparked by the plane
crash, but I think it was the media that lit the fire.
Do you think that the existing tensions continued after the end of the genocide?
In 2002 and 2003 before the gacaca [courts], the citizens were not
living in a good way, but they tried to reunite the people and hosted
teachings in the prisons. I was a leader, so now I teach people here.
I want to reverse my previous teachings—I want to teach peace instead.
What's your normal day like in here?
Here in prison we do sports from 7 to 8 AM, and then study subjects
like electricity studies, mechanics, and other practicals. Then later
on we all work in different areas. I work in the security department.
Did you do anything to mark the recent genocide commemoration events?
Yes, we held an event in the church.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame's term comes to an end in 2017. He was
a former RPA leader. How do you think the country will change when he
leaves office? Do you think the country can remain as peaceful under
the leadership of someone else?
The constitution [that says his term will end] was implemented by
people over two periods, so people can still change the constitution.
Even the president can change his mind, and he's not saying a word. In
prison we're not allowed to vote though, so I will have no say in
that.
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