On April 18, 1994, one of the deadliest episodes of the Genocide against the Tutsi unfolded as more than 40,000 people were massacred at Simbi Parish in Huye, in what is widely documented as a coordinated and systematic attack.
The killings occurred amid escalating nationwide violence, as leaders of the then-interim government intensified efforts to mobilize citizens to participate in the genocide. Senior officials, including Édouard Karemera, traveled to Gitarama to rally support for the extermination campaign.
On the same day, then-President Théodore Sindikubwabo held meetings in Gikongoro with local authorities to coordinate mass killings in areas such as Kaduha, Murambi, and Cyanika. He later addressed residents in Nyakizu Commune, openly calling for the targeting of Tutsi.
In Huye, thousands of Tutsi from the former Maraba Commune had gathered at Simbi Parish between April 10 and 17, hoping the church would offer protection. Instead, it became a site of mass slaughter.
Accounts indicate that three police officers were stationed at the parish, preventing those who had sought refuge from fleeing. In broad daylight, attackers launched a coordinated assault on the church.
They climbed onto the roof, tore off iron sheets, and poured fuel inside before setting it on fire. Survivors recount that chili powder was also thrown into the crowd, suffocating those trapped inside.
The attackers then forced their way in, using grenades, stones, and machetes to kill anyone who remained alive. By the end of the massacre, more than 40,000 Tutsi had been killed at the parish.
The violence extended across the country. In Kamembe, in present-day Rusizi, Tutsi were rounded up and executed near marketplaces and residential areas. In Mwulire, in Rwamagana, more than 15,000 people were killed, while others were murdered at Sovu and along roads and checkpoints.
Mass killings were also reported in Kabuya swamp, where tens of thousands were killed, as well as at Nyabitimba Parish and Mibilizi Hospital in the former Cyangugu region.
At Kamonyi Parish, Tutsi refugees were denied entry and later attacked by militias and soldiers at Kayumbu Bridge, where many were shot dead as they attempted to flee.
On the same day, Prefect Clément Kayishema oversaw the killing of Tutsi who had taken refuge at Gatwaro Stadium in Kibuye, now Karongi.
April 18 remains one of the darkest moments of the genocide, marked by coordinated massacres across multiple regions that claimed tens of thousands of lives in a single day.
