On May 7, 1994, as the Genocide against the Tutsi entered its 31st day, killings continued across Rwanda under the genocidal campaign orchestrated by the former regime.
Among the atrocities committed that day was the massacre of Tutsi students at GS Marie Merci, where victims were reportedly identified and betrayed by some of their fellow students before being killed.
Historical accounts indicate that between late morning and midday, Interahamwe militias from areas including Rwamiko, Mubuga, and Ndago attacked the school targeting Tutsi students who had sought refuge there.
Witness testimonies and genocide documentation show that some students participated directly in the violence, using weapons and subjecting victims to severe torture before killing them.
Reports further indicate that victims were humiliated, stripped of their clothes, and hunted down even while attempting to hide.
The killings at GS Marie Merci occurred nearly a month after massacres had already begun in Kibeho on April 14, 1994, reflecting the prolonged terror experienced by Tutsi civilians trapped in the area.
On the same night, another massacre targeting Tutsi children took place at the SOS orphanage in Gikongoro.
According to historical records, during the night of May 7 to May 8, 1994, Interahamwe militias attacked the orphanage after Tutsi children were separated from others inside the facility.
Former officials and staff linked to the institution were later accused of facilitating the attack by allowing militias access to the victims.
In addition to the children, Tutsi staff members working at the orphanage were also killed during the assault.
The massacres remain among the documented atrocities committed against children and students during the Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed the lives of more than one million people in 1994.
