The Nyamata Genocide Memorial is the final resting place for over 50,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Previously, it was a catholic church, but now desacralized by the Roman Catholic Church, it has been transformed into a memorial, representing the other churches in which the victims of the genocide died. It’s one of Rwanda’s eight national memorials and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
11 April 1997
45,308 Victims
11 April
The Nyamata Genocide Memorial was desacralized by the Roman Catholic Church and transformed into a memorial on 11 April 1997 representing other churches in which the victims of the Genocide died. It’s one of Rwanda’s eight national memorials and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Nyamata Genocide Memorial is the final resting place for over 45,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, including those who were killed inside the church as well as others who were exhumed from surrounding areas.
The memorial is composed of a chapel in which victims’ clothes, as well as the weapons used to kill them, are displayed. Beneath the chapel is a room displaying the remains of those killed in the church. Mass graves are situated behind the church, with a vault that houses skulls, bones, and other human remains. The memorial also honors Antoinette Locatelli, a humanitarian worker murdered in 1992. President Paul Kagame posthumously bestowed a medal of honor upon Locatelli on 4 July 2010, during the ceremonies of the 15<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Liberation Day.
Bugesera, once unpopulated, became a forced settlement for Tutsi after the 1959 Hutu social revolution. Many Tutsis struggled in the harsh environment and pleaded to return home.
In December 1960, the UNAR, a political party, made a formal request to the United Nations General Assembly, advocating for closing the Nyamata and Kibungo refugee camps. They wanted refugees to return home and harvest crops, but the government forced them to stay in Bugesera.
Rwanda’s First Republic saw crackdowns on domestic Tutsi, especially in Bugesera, following attacks by exiled Tutsi named “Inyenzi”. Even after defeating the Inyenzi, over 200 Tutsi were killed in Bugesera, falsely accused of aiding the rebels.
Renewed accusations against Tutsi followed RPF Inkotanyi’s 1990 invasion, labeling them Inkotanyi accomplices. Hate speech, including in churches, portrayed Tutsi as unscrupulous and untrustworthy oppressors from the colonial era.
President Habyarimana’s rule saw escalating violence against Tutsi in Bugesera. Militia attacks, hate speech, and massacres became common, especially after RPF attacks. In 1992, Interahamwe militias (associated with the MRND political party) and Impuzamugambi militias (associated with the CDR political party) attacked Bugesera, killing many Tutsis and causing others to seek shelter in Nyamata Church. By 1993, the international community raised the alarms about these killings, accusing Habyarimana of using RPF’s attacks as justification for further killings in Bugesera and other regions.
During that time, Antoinette ‘Tonia’ Locatelli, an Italian humanitarian and headmistress of the nearby school Familiale, emerged as a hero. She witnessed the Tutsi massacres in Bugesera and raised awareness about the violence on the international stage. Publicly condemning the brutality, she declared, “We must save these people, we must protect them. It is the government itself that is responsible!” Despite warnings from Bishop Vincent Nsengiyumva of Nyamata Church to cease her broadcasts or face death, Locatelli persisted in denouncing the killings. Tragically, she was later killed by a military officer from the sub-prefecture in March 1992. Authorities ruled her death an accident.
Following the assassination of President Habyarimana, the Ggenocide swiftly unfolded in Bugesera. On 7 April 1994, extremists began burning down houses of Tutsi in Nyamata. By 11 April 1994, numerous Tutsis had abandoned their homes and sought refuge at Nyamata Primary School. Women and children found safety in the church, while others sought shelter at the Centre d’Enseignement Rural et Artisanal Integré (CERAI).
The CERAI massacre unfolded on the morning of 11 April 1994, with killers employing tactics akin to those used elsewhere in Rwanda. They encircled the area where Tutsis had congregated, hurling grenades into the crowds. Subsequently, they opened fire using available guns. To ascertain if anyone remained alive, they sprayed capsicum over the lifeless bodies. Those who had survived were brutally killed with machetes.
Claire Nkima, a survivor of the CERAI killings, recounts how she lay among the lifeless bodies until Tutsi refugees, who had been hiding in nearby classrooms, came out that evening and rescued her. The survivors devised escape plans, aiming for Gitarama or Burundi. Tragically, most did not succeed, as the killers had set up roadblocks to complete their mission.
Between 14 April and 16 April 1994, around 5,000 Tutsi lost their lives within the confines of Nyamata Church. Some fled the church and sought refuge in nearby bushes and papyrus fields. However, militia search parties relentlessly hunted them down, resulting in further casualties. The RPF Inkotanyi eventually liberated the region of Bugesera.
