53% of the 1994 genocide victims were young people

The GAERG association composed of the former University students survivors of the Genocide held its 8th commemoration event of the families wiped out during the Genocide against the Tutsis in 1994. Some of the participants who delivered speeches pointed out the ferocious acts of killings that characterized the Interahamwe killers in different parts of Rwanda.

It has been revealed that 53% of the Tutsis massacred during the Genocide were made up of young people. 59% of the Tutsis who lost their lives were killed at the mountains  while 11.6% were killed in  religious churches.

Dr Bideri Diogene who is  a researcher in the National Commission for the Fight against the Genocide(CNLG) told the gathering that the then government spent 2 million US $ in purchasing deadly weapons that were used in massacring innocent Tutsis.

He added that this purchase was done during a harsh economic period Rwanda was going through.

The above money was spent in purchasing machetes, axes, hoes, hammers among other  tools to kill the Tutsis who formerly were living closely with Hutus who afterwards turned against them.

He revealed that between 1991-1992, the then ruling government bought  a significant package of weapons that costed not less than 83 thousands US $.

In  1993, Rwandan government bought 581 kilos of machetes equivalent to 725, 669  US $, Dr Bideri informed the gathering.

He said that the package of these munitions, mostly the machetes, was used in killing over 90% of the Tutsis during the genocide against them in 1994.

The research has revealed that some areas of Rwanda was the most affected by the Genocide.

These include the former Butare, Kigali Ngali, Gitarama and Gikongoro.

The fact that survivors of the Genocide keep remembering their beloved ones who lost their lives is a testmony that their memory is still alive, as the President of the GAERG association Charles Habonimana pointed it out.

Their efforts to wipe out all the Tutsis proved vain and stupid, he highlighted.

UM– USEKE.RW