Bernadette Uwizeyimana, a genocide survivor and mother of two, is currently admitted at Bugarama health center in Rusizi District after she was attacked by unknown assailants that attempted to kill her last night.
The unidentified assailants stormed Uwizeyimana’s home at 3am, Wednesday April 8, at Pera cell in Bugarama sector. They broke into the house, vandalized windows. Failling to break through, they started throwing heavy rocks at her. She was rescued by neighbours, but sustained serious injuries.
Neighbours rushed Uwizeyimana to a health center in critical condition. The assailants managed to escape unnoticed.
“Her ribs were broken, which could result into intestinal complications,” Grace Uwanyiligira, a nurse attending to the victim told KTPress in an interview this afternoon.
This is the second time she is attacked. In 2013, Uwizeyimana was attacked during 19th commemoration. She was beaten up by unknown people and left wounded. She was hospitalised for two months.
Uwizeyimana Bernadete seriously injured at a hospital bed. In 2013, she was also attacked and later hospitalised for two months.
“I have been receiving death threats,” she told Kigali Today from her hospital bed. “People call me using different unknown numbers that they will kill me anytime.”
According to area residents, the plan to attack Uwizeyimana was executed by Juvenal Habyarimana, a leader of the local security known as Inkeragutabara.
“We have had in many cases Habyarimana threatening to kill Uwizeyimana. We wonder how such a person can be trusted again to the extent he commands a night patrol,” wondered a frustrated resident.
KTPress has learnt that minutes before the attack on Uwizeyimana’s home, Habyarimana had ordered the colleagues to move far away from the area, yet local authorities had previously warned security patrol team to watch over her home.
Details have emerged that Habyarimana was among a group of people who attacked Uwizeyimana in 2013.
Police say they have arrested five suspects in connection with the attack.
Dr. Jean Pierre Dusingizimana the president of IBUKA a genocide survivors unmbrella organization told KTPress,“suspects should be punished accordingly.”
The regional police spokesperson, Supt. Emmanuel Hitayezu confirmed the arrest saying; “We have detained five people in connection with the attack of Uwizeyimana’s home.”
On April, 7, while launching the 21st Commemoration, President Paul Kagame warned that the country is still confronted with genocide deniers, whom he said might not go away, even during this painful commemoration period.
“We cannot give up or let anything stand in our way. To do so would be to dishonor the lives we honour here today,” Kagame said.
Under the Law on the crime of genocide ideology No 84/2013 Art.11, violence against a Genocide survivor is a punishable offence. It attracts punishment ranging from 5-9 years in jail and fine Rwf100,000 to Rwf1 million.
Uwizeyimana’s house was vandalised.
