On today’s Kwibuka Podcast episode, the genocidal government races to intensify the killings. RPF Inkotanyi Campaign Against Genocide leads to more cities being liberated and survivors’ rescue missions. Despite the continued killings, the United Nations remains deliberately slow in categorizing the killings of Tutsis in Rwanda as Genocide.

On 22 May 1994, Kigali Airport and Kanombe Military Camp were captured by the RPF Inkotanyi in what was a major milestone in their liberation struggle. This prompted Sindikubwabo to reach out to French President Mitterrand requesting additional urgent help and falsely explaining that his troops had withdrawn from the airport due to “insufficient ammunition”. During the last few days of May, killers began to realize they were losing the battle to the RPF forces, and many began to flee from Kigali towards Gitarama and Ruhengeri. They continued to kidnap and kill Tutsis on their way.

Today on the Kwibuka Podcast, we hear details of the massacre of Tutsi Adventist Pastors and their families at the Seventh Day Adventist Church headquarters at Gitwe. Although they first started to arrive at the Church on 18 April 1994, the first major attack was on 20 May 1994. On the same day, over 470 women and children were killed in Douane in the current Ruhango District.

Today’s episode of the Kwibuka Podcast describes how killings intensified in Kamonyi starting on 14 May 1994. Many Tutsis fled to Musambira Health Center, hoping to find refuge there, but instead, on the same day, the majority of men and boys were killed at the Health Center. The following morning, killers returned to kill all women and children. On 15 May 1994, RFI radio station hosted Interahamwe leader Robert Kajuga, who publicly denied all the killings committed by the genocidal government.

On today’s Kwibuka Podcast episode, we hear about massacres on 12 May 1994 at ADEPR Nyabisindu Church in Muhanga District that wiped out Tutsis that were hiding in and around the Church, including Tutsi who had taken refuge from various parts of Gitarama. The episode also details the killings at Bisesero, where thousands of Tutsis from different parts of Kibuye and Gikongoro resisted and fought off attacks until Friday, 13 May 1994. On that date, the hill was attacked by heavily armed killers. Tutsis at Bisesero succumbed to these attacks, and more than 30,000 Tutsis were killed that day.

Listen to a broad range of voices talking about the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and perspectives on today’s genocide denial.