On June 14, 1994, the genocidal regime continued its campaign targeting Tutsi civilians in hiding across the country, even as FPR-Inkotanyi forces advanced and liberated key areas, including Gitarama City, while rescuing survivors in different regions.
The day was marked by the liberation of Gitarama by FPR-Inkotanyi troops, alongside the killing of Tutsi civilians at the Centre National de Pastorale Saint Paul in Kigali.
By mid-June 1994, government forces were increasingly losing ground, with control over parts of Kigali weakening and Gitarama falling entirely to FPR-Inkotanyi forces following heavy fighting that culminated in the night of June 13–14, 1994.
The capture of Gitarama came after nearly two weeks of intense combat and represented a major strategic turning point, as the area had long been regarded as a political and administrative stronghold linked to the spread of divisive ideology that preceded the genocide against the Tutsi.
Gitarama Prefecture also held historical significance as a centre associated with the PARMEHUTU movement, whose ideology contributed to ethnic discrimination and violence, including the 1959 anti-Tutsi massacres that later expanded nationwide.
Killings at Saint Paul National Pastoral Centre
In Kigali, on June 14, 1994, an armed group attacked the Saint Paul National Pastoral Centre and abducted between 72 and 80 Tutsi civilians, transporting them first to Rugenge sector before taking them to the CND area, where they were killed.
The attack followed a meeting held on June 13, 1994, involving Col. Laurent Munyakazi, Nyirabagenzi Odeta, Mukandutiye Angelina, and Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, with Tutsi civilians sheltering at the centre. During the meeting, the civilians were asked whether they preferred to move to areas controlled by FPR-Inkotanyi or government forces, and lists of names were reportedly compiled—later believed to have facilitated their identification and killing.
