Testimony: Ngurinzira’s Children Share Harrowing Tale of Survival

By The Inspirer.

On April 3, 1994, the family of the late Minister Boniface Ngurinzira attended Easter celebrations at ETO Kicukiro Parish. Little did they know that within three days, their lives would be irrevocably changed by tragedy.

“Please follow us, otherwise you will die!” recalls Marie Yolanda Ngurinzira Ujeneza, the last born of four children of Ngurinzira during a testimony at the closing of Kwibuka Week at Rebero on April 13.

The family, believing the soldier’s warning, boarded a UNAMIR truck disguised as military provisions. At ETO Kicukiro, where thousands of Tutsi had gathered seeking protection, Ngurinzira attempted negotiations with soldiers to evacuate his family. However, their pleas were met with refusals from both Belgian and French peacekeepers, leaving them vulnerable.

“We got Ngurinzira,” the daughter recalls sadly. “That’s all we witnessed, as for his death, and his remains’ whereabouts, we really don’t know.”

On April 11, as UNAMIR peacekeepers prepared to leave, desperate Tutsi formed a human barricade, begging not to be abandoned. “The peacekeepers shot in the air to scare them and drove to Kigali International airport,” Ujeneza recounts.

The Ngurinzira family, exhausted and terrified, wandered into the bush. Unfortunately, they were spotted by militia who surrounded and captured them. The militia announced Ngurinzira’s capture, leading to his subsequent disappearance and presumed death.

“My father was prosecuted until we were cursed in our commune of origin. We were denied our right to origin,” Uwukuri Ngurinzira said.

Afterward, the family endured hiding, threats, and uncertainty, moving from one place to another until reaching Gisenyi. There, they were rescued by the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) Inkotanyi, avoiding imminent death at the hands of Interahamwe.

Ngurinzira’s contributions to Rwanda, including his role in the Arusha negotiations, were acknowledged during Kwibuka30 week. “We keep the legacy of refusing injustice, fighting for the truth, and loving our country,” Isaro Ngurinzira said.

Ultimately seeking refuge in Belgium, Ngurinzira’s family faced a legal battle against Belgium for its inaction during the genocide. “In 2004, they took the Kingdom of Belgium to Court for having abandoned the people in Rwanda for abandoning the people to Interahamwe,” Uwukuri Ngurinzira explains.

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