Sunday, May 1, 2011

Nyamata Memorial Church


This short clip let me see a glimpse of the Nyamata Memorial Church. Today the church in which 10,000 people died still stands and is an unwavering sign and memory of the terrible acts that occurred during the genocide of 1994. The Catholic Church is located in the town of Nyamata and thousands came from near by areas to seek refuge within the holy walls of the church.  In past violence the church has always acted as a safe haven for anyone who entered.  No one would dare kill under the eyes of god, but this genocide was different.  On the tenth of April 1994 the Militia entered and broke down the padlock on the iron door that was there to protect the Tutsis.  Once the Interahamwe (Hutu Militia) entered the locked doors of the Catholic Church, they killed thousands of people. Not only the innocent men women and children within the Catholic Church were killed, the fleeting survivors from the church also were killed.  Any houses near by were searched and the Tutsi residences were brutally slaughtered.  These men who were once the neighbors of these Tutsis stood before them carrying their rifles, grenades, machetes, and clubs to kill every last one of them. 
            Watching this video clip is astonishing.  Seeing all of the belongings left behind by the souls of innocent people is something I will never forget.  I can only imagine the brutality of the murders and the helpless feeling of the Tutsis.  I will never be able to understand how someone can pick up a weapon and kill people who you have never met and who have done nothing to harm you.  This is shocking to me…    

Source: 
http://www.safarisgorillas.com/safaris/tours/rwandagenocidesite6.html

1 comment:

  1. This was one thing that really shocked me about the Rwanda genocide. It was surprising that thousands were killed in this supposedly safe haven. It's absolutely horrific how the Hutu extremists would go this far just to murder innocent Tutsis. I find it especially outstanding because the Tutsis were murdered in a church. Once they could not stop killing I guess it didn't matter to them if they were killing in the eyes of god or not. But how could Hutus just defy this safe refuge for those in need and completely massacre these Tutsis? It's terrifying how some people will go to extreme measures for what they believe is right in their eyes.

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