On April 30, 1994, many Tutsi who had sought refuge at Ngoma Parish and the Benebikira Sisters’ Center at Itaba (Maison Généralice) in the former Butare prefecture—now Huye District—were brutally killed.
The violence followed an earlier wave of attacks as Tutsi civilians, including women, children, and the elderly from the Matyazo and Ngoma areas, fled massacres in their neighborhoods and sought safety at Ngoma Parish.
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Prior to the large-scale killings, soldiers and Interahamwe militias—under the leadership of Major Cyriaque Habyarabatuma, head of the gendarmerie—carried out initial attacks. On April 29, 1994, Interahamwe and soldiers stationed at the ELECTROGAZ roadblock attacked the parish under the pretense of assessing the number of refugees, falsely claiming they were there to provide protection.
Then, on the morning of April 30, at around 9 a.m., a major assault was launched on Ngoma Parish. It was led by Lt. Ildephonse Hategekimana, commander of the Ngoma military camp, and S/Lt. Fabien Niyonteze, along with soldiers from the Ngoma camp and Interahamwe militias from Ngoma and Matyazo.
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The attackers stormed the church compound and began killing indiscriminately. Some victims were dragged outside the church gate and murdered there.
The killings were exceptionally brutal—children were thrown onto the road leading to Matyazo; others were stabbed with spears or hacked with machetes. Some girls were raped before being killed.
Lt. Ildephonse Hategekimana, who led the killings, was later convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Other perpetrators involved included Gatera, Murekezi Fils, Donati, Vianey from Kibuye (a vendor on Fourth Street), Abdoulah from Giswayire, and several soldiers—one of whom referred to himself as “Satan’s grandson.” Additional culprits included Toni, the Kiburugutu brothers, an airport commander, Ngoma sector councilor Habimana Jacques, and various members of the Interahamwe militia.
On the same day, similar atrocities were carried out at the Benebikira Sisters’ Center in Itaba.
Beginning April 14, 1994, people—mostly relatives of nuns—had started seeking refuge at the Benebikira Sisters’ Center following the April 21 murder of Professor Karenzi, a lecturer at the National University of Rwanda (UNR). Children and others who had been staying at Karenzi’s home fled to the center for safety.
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These children were later specifically targeted by Vincent Ntezimana, a former colleague of Karenzi at UNR, in collaboration with Colonel Tharcisse Muvunyi. Before Karenzi’s death, Ntezimana and others involved in planning the genocide at UNR had asked Tutsi lecturers to submit lists of household members, deceitfully claiming it was to help them flee.
On April 30, a group led by Captain Ildephonse Nizeyimana from ESO, along with Lt. Ildephonse Hategekimana, Lt. Ndayambaje, Lt. Ngendahimana, and Interahamwe militias, attacked the center.
Lt. Hategekimana initially selected some victims and took them to be executed at Kabutare and at the Groupe Scolaire. The attackers were heavily armed with guns, traditional weapons such as spears and machetes, and carried jerrycans of petrol.
Those leading the massacre at the center included Captain Ildephonse Nizeyimana, Lt. Ildephonse Hategekimana, Lt. Ndayambaje, Lt. Ngendahimana, and Vincent Ntezimana, along with Interahamwe militias.
Vincent Ntezimana was later tried in Belgium, found guilty of genocide, and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Both Captain Nizeyimana and Lt. Hategekimana were tried and convicted of genocide by the ICTR. Nizeyimana received a 25-year sentence, while Hategekimana was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Levy Gasana/ the Kaminuza Star