RWANDA, HUTU RESCUERS - In 1994 an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered over the course of nearly one-hundred days largely by two Hutu Militia following the death of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, whose plane was shot down over Kigali airport on 6 April 1994. These are the stories of Hutus who helped their fellow countrymen, the Tutsi, survive the Rwandan Genocide. Josephine Dusabimana, merchant, Kigali:
Image Number: APN296647

APN296647

Headline: Rwandan Genocide Description: RWANDA, HUTU RESCUERS - In 1994 an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered over the course of nearly one-hundred days largely by two Hutu Militia following the death of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, whose plane was shot down over Kigali airport on 6 April 1994. These are the stories of Hutus who helped their fellow countrymen, the Tutsi, survive the Rwandan Genocide. Josephine Dusabimana, merchant, Kigali: "When the war began, we saw several buses driving by piled up with the Mouvement Révolutionnaire National pour le Développement (MRND) militiamen. They came and stopped nearby us. All Hutus and Tutsis were scared. Afterwards, we were asked to separate ourselves. We saw men we had never seen at Kibuye. They were heavily armed. Authorities told Tutsis to gather themselves to be protected but it was just a lie. Suddenly we heard loud screams and gunshots. Tutsis were being massacred. Some ran away trying to flee and the luckiest got into houses of kind people while others were caught and killed. I met our neighbor. I told him, 'Don’t you see how things are turning worse? You are a Tutsi. How dare you wander around here? Go through that banana plantation, get in my house and hide there.' They stayed in our house but we found that things were turning very bad and I told my husband, 'Let us find another hideaway for these men so that they do not get killed in our own house because we are also at risk to get killed with them.' He said, 'What do you think we can do?' I said, 'Let me go to my native village and find a canoe that can take them to Congo.' We accompanied them in the night because during the day we might be seen and get arrested. They succeeded in fleeing. After, a man and his two daughters came to hide in our home. They spent some days there but the killings were stepping. I went to my native village. I explained to my father and he said, 'Last time you took away the canoe and did not bring it back. How will you manage to take those people away?' I told him, 'I know a neighbor who owns a huge canoe. We will steal it. We only need paddles.' My father said, 'How could you take the paddles to Kibuye? You will get killed if caught with paddles.They will know that you are helping people to escape.' I asked him, 'What do you think we can do?' He replied, 'Let us cut the paddles into two and hide them in a pile of sweet potato leaves.' Around 7:30 pm, the girls had already untied the canoe. When I was on my way bringing the paddles, I met some people who asked me if I was planting sweet potatoes. I replied yes, of course. They said, 'You are lucky to find sweet potatoes seeds.' I answered, 'I had started planting when the fighting came. I do not know when all this chaos will be over but in the meantime I have seeds and must keep planting.' The man and his two daughters fled successfully. They stayed in our house but we found that things were turning very bad and I told my husband, 'Let us find another hideaway for these men so that they do not get killed in our own house because we are also at risk to get killed with them.' He said, 'What do you think we can do?' I said, 'Let me go to my native village and find a canoe that can take them to Congo.' (Photo by Africa 24 Media/Riccardo Gangale) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Country: Rwanda Date Created: 15-07-2007 Creator: Ricardo Gangale Credit Notice: Ricardo Gangale / Africa 24 Media / african.pictures Pixel Dimensions X: 3500 Pixel Dimensions Y: 2327 Keywords: Rights usage terms: Restrictions:  This image does NOT have all model and property releases. Additional clearance may be required for non-editorial use and for use in association with socially sensitive subject matter