- THE DATES OF THIS BLOG UPLOAD WERE NOT THE ACTUAL DAYS I AM TALKING ABOUT
Part of my historical investigation actual involved me going to Rwanda and it was one of the most incredible experiences I have had in my life.
On the 27th Of June we flew out to Johannesburg for transit and then to Kigali, Rwanda. We landed at the International airport where the Prime minister Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira were shot down officially beginning the Rwandan genocide. This was such a significant event because prior on in April 1994, Habyarimana agreed to peace negotiations with the RPF. It was held in Tanzinia where they created a peace agreement called Arusha Accors meaning that the RPF were included in the Government of Rwanda. Upon returning Habyarimana’s plane was shot down. There is much evidence to support it was the Hutu extremists as they felt Habyraimana’s signature to the Arusha Accords was an traitorous act and sharing power with Tutsi ‘cockroaches’ was impossible. Landing their felt very strange, as it was a place of great history and sorrow. As we were descending Rwanda’s nickname ‘The Land Of A Thousand Hills’, is not an exaggeration and beautiful fields make up over 90% of the Country.
On the way back to the hotel from the airport we drove past the actual Hotel in the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’. I was excited to see it but to my dismay the drivers were very antagonistic towards it. Apparently the man who owned the hotel was paid lots of money to protect these people and quite a rude man. The real life person and the Hollywood movie which falsey portrays the Rwandan genocide is disliked by many Rwandans.
We then travelled to Muzanze that is another city in Rwanda. The hotel is very close to an athletics track, one we also went to run on in the mornings, and the historic site of a refugee camp, and I can’t help but feel being here is so surreal.
Driving around the streets of Rwanda is was evident that there were many prisoners working on the land. These are mainly genocide persecutors who are in orange have been sentenced for life. Following the end of the genocide, over 85,000 people were sent to jail, and accused for murdering up to 500,000 people. The justice system has failed to bring to justice the murdered of the other 500,000 people. The life in prison cells is very challenging with standard living being 40cm of space per prisoner and a long day of physical labour. These people were trialed for their crimes and forced to confess in front of a local court with the family of the victim.
Having lost at least one family member from the genoiced in Rwanda is very normal – in fact it would be strange if you hadn’t! Whilst we were holding a summit program in Rwanda (Teachers conference), I was talking to a lady and I asked about her family. She told me she had lost her husband and it was very confronting moment on the trip.
We also met our drivers and translators who all have such inspiring and terrible personal stories of the Rwandan Genocide.
To be blunt and not too emotional, here are the basic stories:
TO ENSURE PRIVACY I HAVE NOT INCLUDED NAMES:
Translator: Witnessed his father being killed in the earlier parts of the genocide. He was hidden by an elderly hutu neighbour in their food pit.
Part of my historical investigation actual involved me going to Rwanda and it was one of the most incredible experiences I have had in my life.
On the 27th Of June we flew out to Johannesburg for transit and then to Kigali, Rwanda. We landed at the International airport where the Prime minister Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira were shot down officially beginning the Rwandan genocide. This was such a significant event because prior on in April 1994, Habyarimana agreed to peace negotiations with the RPF. It was held in Tanzinia where they created a peace agreement called Arusha Accors meaning that the RPF were included in the Government of Rwanda. Upon returning Habyarimana’s plane was shot down. There is much evidence to support it was the Hutu extremists as they felt Habyraimana’s signature to the Arusha Accords was an traitorous act and sharing power with Tutsi ‘cockroaches’ was impossible. Landing their felt very strange, as it was a place of great history and sorrow. As we were descending Rwanda’s nickname ‘The Land Of A Thousand Hills’, is not an exaggeration and beautiful fields make up over 90% of the Country.
On the way back to the hotel from the airport we drove past the actual Hotel in the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’. I was excited to see it but to my dismay the drivers were very antagonistic towards it. Apparently the man who owned the hotel was paid lots of money to protect these people and quite a rude man. The real life person and the Hollywood movie which falsey portrays the Rwandan genocide is disliked by many Rwandans.
We then travelled to Muzanze that is another city in Rwanda. The hotel is very close to an athletics track, one we also went to run on in the mornings, and the historic site of a refugee camp, and I can’t help but feel being here is so surreal.
Driving around the streets of Rwanda is was evident that there were many prisoners working on the land. These are mainly genocide persecutors who are in orange have been sentenced for life. Following the end of the genocide, over 85,000 people were sent to jail, and accused for murdering up to 500,000 people. The justice system has failed to bring to justice the murdered of the other 500,000 people. The life in prison cells is very challenging with standard living being 40cm of space per prisoner and a long day of physical labour. These people were trialed for their crimes and forced to confess in front of a local court with the family of the victim.
Having lost at least one family member from the genoiced in Rwanda is very normal – in fact it would be strange if you hadn’t! Whilst we were holding a summit program in Rwanda (Teachers conference), I was talking to a lady and I asked about her family. She told me she had lost her husband and it was very confronting moment on the trip.
We also met our drivers and translators who all have such inspiring and terrible personal stories of the Rwandan Genocide.
To be blunt and not too emotional, here are the basic stories:
TO ENSURE PRIVACY I HAVE NOT INCLUDED NAMES:
Translator: Witnessed his father being killed in the earlier parts of the genocide. He was hidden by an elderly hutu neighbour in their food pit.
Translator: He was 7 his house was set on fire by Hutu neighbours. Almost every member of his family was in the house besides his 2 brothers and mother, and every person in the house perished. And he woke up believing he was in hell because of the fire and screaming. As he escaped from the fire he was shot in the shoulder, and this paralysed the left side of his face.
In 1959 prior to the Genocide, Hutus began burning Tutsi homes and anti-tutsi violence. Over 10,000 Rwandans were all forced to leave Rwanda to bordering countries such as the Congo and Uganda. They returned to Rwanda after the genocide because ,"Rwanda is my home". - One of the drivers.