Gang kills genocide survivor

2008-05-15 21:57

Arthur Asiimwe

Kigali - A 90-year-old Rwandan genocide survivor has been stabbed and burnt to death by a gang that included four assailants who had confessed to taking part in the 1994 slaughter, a body representing genocide survivors said on Thursday.

Generosa Mukanyonga, a widow who lost her husband and children during the 1994 killings, was murdered in retribution for her petition for compensation, Benoit Kaboyi, executive secretary of the Ibuka group, said.

She had sought compensation from her attackers for damage to her property during the genocide in which 800 000 minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed within 100 days.

Since January, 12 genocide survivors have been murdered, an almost equal number of people to those killed in 2007.

"It's increasingly becoming a nightmare for genocide survivors," Kaboyi told Reuters. "This old woman was first stabbed and before she could die, she was locked in her house which was set on fire."

Police said they had arrested some suspects in the case.

14th anniversary of the genocide

Rwanda commemorated the 14th anniversary of the genocide last month.

Many survivors live alongside those who had been convicted, jailed and then released from prison for killing their families. Many say they live fearing for their security.

"It has almost become like terrorism. Since 1994, we have been talking and talking about security of survivors," Kaboyi said. "It's high time the government re-designed its security measures."

Genocide survivors have pushed for reparations though the government insists it has limited resources to compensate them. The Rwandan government allocates 5% of its national budget to the survivors' welfare, a sum they deem too small to cater for their needs.

- Reuters