Rwanda Genocide: 'I saw armed gang murder my family' BBC News

Overview

The subtitles recount testimony from Lilian, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, describing how ethnic violence escalated after the assassination of Rwanda’s president on 6 April 1994. She explains that, before the genocide, she had known and played with people she later learned were Tutsis, without understanding the political/ethnic divisions.

Escalation at Her Uncle’s Home

She describes how Hutu militias armed with machetes came to her uncle’s home, singing songs signaling that no one would escape. When her family refused to open the door and the attackers advanced through the neighborhood, she fled through a back window. However, the group had already surrounded the compound.

• She hid in a tree while witnessing the killings.
• She was unable to stop what was happening or even cover her ears because she couldn’t escape the noise and sight of the violence.

Continued Mass Killing Despite UN Presence

Lilian says that on 7 April 1994, despite the presence of UN peacekeepers, Rwandan soldiers and militia continued hunting and killing Tutsis, using clubs, sticks, and machetes.

She also references the role of radio broadcasts, which called for extermination, likening Tutsis to “cockroaches.” She recounts the sound of her parents’ screams and later the attackers moving bodies outside to confirm who had escaped or survived.

Situation Worsens and UN Forces Withdraw

She further states that by 11 April 1994, tens of thousands of Tutsis and Hutu moderates had already been killed. She describes that UN forces withdrew to the airport under attack, leaving civilians they had sheltered vulnerable to the mobs.

Her Survival and Hiding

Lilian describes staying hidden for a prolonged period, unsure whether she would survive or have anywhere to go.

Presenters or contributors

• Lilian (witness/survivor)