The Kigali Torture Chambers

Dr. William A. Twayigize

DR. WILLIAM

THE UNFANTHOMABLE HORRORS OF KIGALI TORTURE CHAMBERS

Our Arrival in Hell on Earth

As we were forced back onto the plane destined for Kigali, we found ourselves amongst a multitude of refugees, a diverse group of women, mothers, and children, alongside elderly and handicapped individuals laboriously relying on crutches for mobility. The return to Kigali unveiled a daunting scene: Tutsi soldiers, teeth gnashed and filled with hostility, eagerly awaited our arrival, each one armed to the teeth with a chilling assortment of weapons, including guns, bayonets, hammers, blunt objects, and pepper sprayers. Their malicious intent was immediately apparent, as they wasted no time deploying the pepper sprayers, seeking to blind us before unleashing a savage onslaught. In a matter of minutes, we were all left bleeding profusely, our bodies bruised and battered, bearing the grim consequences of their ruthless assault.

In the grasp of an unimaginable fate, we were hurriedly herded into a gruesome torture chamber, where our daily existence was marred by endless beatings and killings. This appalling fate extended even to the youngest amongst us, a mere one-year-old Hutu refugee. Inside the chamber, the tormentors had created a vile concoction of water and salt, forcing us to stand in it, the level rising above our knees to prevent us from sitting or finding any solace. The horrifying purpose of this cruel act was to expedite the decay of our children’s bodies. I vividly recall a particular harrowing day when three Tutsi soldiers mercilessly cornered me, subjecting me to an intense beating. My head was repeatedly slammed against the unforgiving concrete, blood gushing from my nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. These brutal assailants then attempted to end my life by strangling me with a rope, their sadistic desire for my demise evident in their eyes. Instinctively, I shielded my vulnerable Adam’s apple with my trembling hands, fighting to survive against the overwhelming odds. But my efforts proved futile as they relentlessly struck me with blunt objects, leaving my upper lip torn and wounds gushing blood. The scars on the back of my neck serve as a constant reminder of that nightmarish day.

In the harrowing confines of the Kigali torture chamber, we were thrust onto the cold ground, our hands shackled behind us, subjected to the merciless onslaught of Tutsi soldiers raining blows upon our feet and heads, a brutal scene chillingly reminiscent of the haunting HRW depiction. Captured by John Holmes in 2017 for Human Rights Watch, this portrayal encapsulates the agonizing reality we endured.

In this photo is General Emmanuel Karake Karenzi, who allegedly ordered his subordinates to ensure they presented him with at least 40 dead bodies of Hutus daily. He has been implicated in numerous UN and HRW reports for committing atrocities against Hutus in Rwanda and the DRC. Despite these accusations, under pressure from the UN and USA, he was appointed to lead the UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan.

The Underlined Bible

When we arrived at the grim torture chamber in Kigali, the Tutsi soldiers promptly confiscated all our belongings, including money, books, and even my cherished bible. For some inexplicable reason, I happened to be the sole person among more than 500 refugees who managed to keep hold of my bible. Despite the profound suffering I had endured, having lost everything—my parents, siblings, childhood friends, and classmates—I clung desperately to this bible. It had been my solace, and I had read it diligently, underlining nearly every comforting memory verse I came across.

After subjecting us to merciless beatings akin to criminals crucified alongside Jesus, the soldiers granted us a respite. It was in the afternoon when they began examining the items they had seized from us. Some of the refugees possessed substantial sums of money sent by their relatives living in the USA, Europe, and other places. The intention was for them to purchase air tickets upon arriving at airports and reunite with their loved ones. However, when the UNHCR forcibly repatriated us to Rwanda from Franceville, Gabon, these refugees had not yet had the opportunity to reach the airport and obtain tickets. Consequently, they still clung to the money that the Tutsi soldiers confiscated from them.

Yet, when they came across the bible they had taken from me, they discovered only a well-worn tome adorned with countless underlined memory verses. One of the Tutsi soldiers, who identified himself as “Umurokore,” returned the bible to me within the confines of that dreadful torture chamber, destined to be both our final home and our graveyard. “Umurokore” refers to someone who claims to be a born-again Christian or someone who believes he/she has been saved by Jesus.

The Forty Dead Bodies

Amidst the Rwandan torture chamber’s suffocating darkness, we were forced to accept our grim fate, knowing that the Tutsi soldiers had no intention of allowing us to return to our villages. The prospect of death loomed over us like a shadow, leaving us engulfed in a profound silence, our minds adrift in an ocean of haunting thoughts, contemplating what lay ahead for each of us, even for the innocent one-year-old boy among us.

A chilling creak reverberated through the chamber as the heavy metallic door swung open. Dread consumed me, for seven individuals taken away hours before had never returned. Only agonizing screams from the neighboring offices pierced the air. In walked three figures, led by the ominous presence of General Emmanuel Karenzi Karake, flanked by two other Tutsi officers. My heart sank as Karenzi Karake issued a horrifying command, demanding the lifeless bodies of 40 Hutu individuals to be presented to him daily. I couldn’t help but calculate, the cold reality hitting me, as I divided our group of 540 refugees by 40, realizing the Tutsi officers would annihilate us all within a mere fortnight.

As per the ruthless order, the night was a never-ending symphony of brutality. By 4 am, they had mercilessly killed at least 17 of us. My memory etched with the nightmarish image of Nahimana, blood streaming from his ears, a result of the Tutsi soldiers repeatedly smashing his head against the unyielding concrete wall. Denied medical attention, he succumbed to an excruciating and agonizing demise. The dark veil of night masked the evacuation of the lifeless bodies, hiding the gruesome evidence of their sadistic actions.

The scars of that torturous chamber ran deep, not merely on our bodies but searing into our souls, forever altering us. The torment we endured defied comprehension as the Tutsi officers reveled in our pain, subjecting us to unrelenting cruelty, day and night. Mock executions taunted us, each moment hanging precariously between life and death. The brutality knew no bounds; electric shocks coursed through our bodies, leaving indelible marks of agony, both physical and emotional. Each passing second felt like an eternity, a relentless assault meant to crush our spirits and extinguish any flicker of hope. The memories of those unfathomable horrors lingered, a haunting reminder of humanity’s capacity for cruelty and the resilience of the human spirit even in the darkest of hours.

In this wretched place, death became an unwelcome companion, a daily occurrence that we grew accustomed to. We found ourselves oddly accepting of it, believing that if one met their demise that day, they were fortunate to find respite from the torment inflicted upon us by the heartless Tutsi soldiers, an agonizing ordeal that seemed unending.

This HRW map of Rwanda for 2017 lays bare the chilling reality, revealing a disturbing network of torture chambers scattered across the nation. Detailed within are systematic and horrifying patterns of torture, enforced disappearances, executions, unlawful and arbitrary detentions, unjust trials, and grave human rights violations perpetrated within military torture centers from 2010 to 2016—reminiscent of the very ones the Tutsi soldiers subjected us to during their torturous reign in 1998.

Subscribe Now

Join Our Newsletter

Orcinteger faucibus odio cursus facilisi sitenim egestas ele imperdiet etiam situ eltrices vestibulum sit. Orcinteger faucibus odio cursus facilisi sitenim.

DR. WILLIAM

Orcinteger faucibus odio cursus facilisi sitenim egestas ele imperdiet etiam situ eltrices vestibulum sit. Orcinteger faucibus odio cursus facilisi sitenim.

Dr. William A. Twayigize

DR. WILLIAM