May 12, 1994 marked the 36th day of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, as killings of Tutsis intensified across different parts of Rwanda under the genocidal regime.
On that day, Interahamwe militias launched a brutal attack on Tutsis who had sought refuge at ADEPR Nyabisindu in present-day Muhanga, formerly Gitarama.
Survivor accounts indicate that the attackers arrived armed with guns, machetes, axes, clubs studded with nails and other crude weapons before carrying out killings throughout the night.
Witnesses say prisoners were later brought in to dispose of bodies by dragging them into mass graves, while some victims who were still alive were reportedly heard pleading for mercy and praying.
Accounts from survivors and genocide memorial records also indicate that women and girls were separated before the massacre and subjected to acts of sexual violence and torture.
Today, the Nyabisindu Genocide Memorial commemorates victims killed at the site, where more than 120 bodies recovered from the area have been laid to rest.
The genocide involved perpetrators from different sectors of society, including some religious leaders and followers. Several individuals linked to the killings were later prosecuted and convicted, while others continue to face legal proceedings.
In 2016, ADEPR publicly apologised for the role played by some of its members during the genocide. The church also acknowledged accusations against former spokesperson Pastor Joseph Nsanzurwimo, who fled to Belgium and has since been accused of genocide denial and revisionism.
