Eugene Rwamucyo(L) and his lawyers in Paris Court of Assizes this week
Genocide survivors in Gishamvu sector, Huye district of Southern Province have shared their testimony against Dr. Eugene Rwamucyo, a medical specialist who is appearing in Paris court of Assizes to answer allegations on crimes committed during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
Director of Public Health department of the school of medicine-university of Rwanda, Rwamucyo is accused of Genocide crimes, conspiracy to commit the Genocide and crimes against humanity.
He is accused to have committed the crimes in Ndora, Kansi, Gishamvu, Ngoma sectors of Huye and Gisagara district respectively, among other areas of the Southern Province.
On October 4, 2024, a media outreach conducted in collaboration of Haguruka, a right activist and PAX Press allowed journalists to speak to some genocide survivors from Gushamvu sector, near Nyumba parish and Nyakibanda seminary who said they witnessed atrocities that were supervised by Rwamucyo.
The main allegation is that, despite being a medical doctor who was supposed to save lives, Rwamucyo supervised interahamwe militia while burying the Tutsi they had killed in total dishonor. But they said, he could not spare those that were still breathing.
“He ordered Interahamwe to demolish a school which was here. There were in the class bodies of the Tutsi that were just killed. Some were screaming, seeking support but Rwamucyo denied them right to life,” said one witness who was at Nyumba seminary during the Genocide.
“They dug a huge mass grave and then brought a tractor which pulled bodies of parents together with their children who were still alive, crying,” testifies another witness from Nyakibanda seminary.
Gerarld Rutazigwa, President of Ibuka, Gishamvu sector told the journalist, that Rwamucyo and his interahamwe men “had a atrategy to torture the Tutsi so that they do not die quickly. That’s how some of them could easily be drug in the mass grave, alive.”
Rwamucyo would have done the same at the former office of Butare Prefecture, including a place which, until recently hosted Huye Community Radio.
A genocide survivor who was 16 years old then, confirmed having heard Rwamucyo uttering incendiary words against the Tutsi at the former Butare Prefecture.
“One morning, Rwamucyo came and found the Tutsi who were left for dead by Interahamwe at the Butare prefecture and said: what are these useless persons doing here? Get them rid of us! WIth that, a caterpillar was hurried, and a mass grave arranged. He took the dead bodies and other tutsi who were seriously wounded, but not dead. He buried all of them in the same grave,” said the witness.
“I am not sure whether all the bodies at former Huye Community Radio were found.”
The witness further testified having seen Rwamucyo supervising living people in the Ngoma cemetery. “Some could say: please save me from this pit, others would say please give me some water, but Interahamwe and their boss Rwamucyo wer determined to do evil,” the witness testified.
Dr. Rwamucyo was first arrested in France in 2010 while attending the funeral of one Jean Bosco Barayagwiza who was also convicted over Genocide crimes.
He would later be released, but his case continued to be subject of investigation. In the last 16 years, several delays affected the efforts to have his trial start into substance.
In this trial, some 60 witnesses will be heard. Nearly 800 people filed for compensation. The trial started on October 1 and will run through October 30.
