Citation
Resistance by the Abasesero and consequences of the genocide
Name: David Kayizabo
Cellule: Wingabo
Sector: Bisesero
Commune: Gishyita
Préfecture: Kibuye
Age: 32 years
Profession: farmer
Marital status: maried
The war started in our area on 9 April 1994. We saw d’Amayaga Tutsis
(from Musenyi and Mpembe sector) who had fled to our area, telling us
that their homes had been burnt down and some of them had been
killed. After they revealed to us that this was an ethnic problem we
fled to Mugira.
On Monday 11 April 1994 the interahamwe militia who were in
Ruzindana and Mika’s car, invaded us. We fought them until we
realized that we had lost a large number of people. We then fled
into the bush. The interahamwe militia continued their massacre by
hunting in the bush. People did not stop dying. Two brothers of mine
fell victim to the massacres. My mother, who was blind, did not leave
the house, and it was burnt down with her still inside it. In the
end we heard that some French had arrived at the office of the
commune in Gishyita. We saw their cars going towards Gisovu. One day
they approached us, we explained our situation to them. They told us
they had come to protect us. News reached us that the RPF army was
near to us. We joined them in Kivumu, Kibuye préfecture, having been
evacuated by the French soldiers.
The FPR soldiers greeted us warmly. They gave us food and soap.
I was with my older brother and we led a happy life. We went back to
our commune. We installed ourselves in the office of the commune in
Gishyita because our homes had been destroyed during the genocide,
and the many genocidaires in our village had not yet been arrested.
Life in Gishyita was very hard. We didn’t have enough subsidies
and there was nothing in our fields. That is why we preferred to go
back to our homes after we had rebuilt them with sheeting.
As soon as we returned we had security problems because of the
genocidaires who were still at large, and not happy about our return.
The insecurity increased significantly with the large-scale return of
the refugees. Alot of people died. The infiltrators’ goal is to kill
all the survivors of the genocide. We took refuge in the bush at
night.
We were a large family before the genocide. We made our living
from agriculture and cattle-raising. We used fertilizer in order to
obtain an improved harvest. We got this fertilizer from our cattle.
Now, however, all of the cows have been stolen, and I no longer raise
cattle.
As my ribcage was hit with a stone I am handicapped. I can no
longer go into the fields everyday. Because of these problems my
revenues are mediocre and they do not satisfy my needs.
Justice is proceeding as it should do. However we still fear
the genocidaires in other areas of the country who have not been
arrested. We are not in a position to bring them to justice even
though they come here and threaten our security. The government shows
concern for our problems and tries to find solutions to them, but
today we need people in charge of maintaining our security so that we
can bring the genocidaires to justice.
All of my belongings were stolen and I have no means of buying
others. I need cattle which will help me with my farming.1
1
Interviewed in Bisesero, 12 February 1997
