On May 18, 1994, former interim President Théodore Sindikubwabo visited the then Kibuye Prefecture where he publicly praised Interahamwe militias for their role in killing Tutsi during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The date marked the 42nd day of the 100 days of the Genocide, at a time when massacres against Tutsi were intensifying across various parts of the country under the direction of the genocidal government.
Historical records indicate that during his visit, Sindikubwabo commended local militias for what he described as successfully carrying out the killings of Tutsi in the area.
By mid-May 1994, large numbers of Tutsi had already been massacred nationwide, with only a few locations where victims were still resisting attacks or had not yet been completely exterminated.
Researchers and genocide historians have continued to point to such actions and statements by senior government officials as evidence of the organized nature of the Genocide and the direct involvement of state institutions in mobilizing civilians to participate in the killings.
The period between May 14 and May 18, 1994 was also marked by intensified attacks targeting women and children who had survived earlier massacres.
Genocide scholars say the events of that period further demonstrate how the killings were systematically planned and executed with the support of political and administrative authorities at the time.
