Of all the events known in Rwanda, the 1994 genocide is one of the most significant and horrifying. The terrible events that took place between April 7 and May 15, 1994, brought widespread mourning to Rwanda, as more than one million people were killed by machete-wielding genocidaires.
One of the main sites of this massacre was the Nyamata Catholic Church area, where about 50,000 people lost their lives, including around 15,000 who were killed inside the church. The killings at this church happened between April 16 and 18, 1994, leaving many Tutsis and mixed-ethnicity Hutus dead from various weapons.
Nyamata Church is one of six national genocide memorial sites in Rwanda, along with the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Murambi, Ntarama, Bisesero, and Nyarubuye.
Nyamata Church is located in the Bugesera region, about 36 kilometers south of Kigali. This area was once covered by dense, infested forests, but during the early genocidal attacks of 1959 and 1960, Tutsis were forcibly resettled here.
By 1994, the region was largely populated by Tutsis, making it a key target during the genocide, which aimed to eliminate the entire Tutsi population.
In the 1950s and 1960s, people who sought safety in churches were spared, as churches were not attacked at that time. Because of this history, many Tutsis, especially women and children, sought refuge in Nyamata Church and other churches.
However, during the 1994 genocide, the Interahamwe militia forced their way into the church using grenades, killing those hiding inside with machetes, guns, and other weapons. Those who managed to escape from the church or hid nearby were later found and killed.
Visiting this site reveals one of the darkest chapters of Rwanda’s history. A somber mood fills the church as visitors see the devastating evidence of the massacre.
Bullet holes and grenade shrapnel marks are visible on the walls and ceiling, showing how the killers broke into the church, letting streams of light filter through the damaged structure.
Guided tours by genocide survivors explain how the walls and altar are still stained with blood, and the altar cloth bears marks of large amounts of blood, as if someone was killed on the altar.
The pews are covered with piles of dirty, bloodstained clothes that belonged to the victims. Some remains of the victims are kept in wooden boxes covered with purple cloth. Purple and white, symbolizing hope and mourning, are the main colors throughout the church.
One person is buried inside the church, while others are buried in two mass graves behind it. The bones of the victims show marks of the weapons used in the killings. Beneath the church is a basement room, now a catacomb, that contains more remains of the victims, including displays of skulls.
Nyamata Church is also the burial site of Antoinette Locatelli, an Italian Roman Catholic missionary who was killed on March 9, 1992, for speaking out about the plight of the Tutsis and warning of the coming genocide. At the church exit, there is a plaque with the names of victims, as well as artifacts such as a machete and other weapons.
A display of identification cards (I.D.s), which determined whether a person was Hutu or Tutsi, is also present. The machete was one of the main tools used for the killings.
Photography inside the church is not allowed unless a permit is obtained from the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG).
On April 11, 1997, the Roman Catholic Church desacralized Nyamata Catholic Church to honor the victims killed there. This date is commemorated every year. After discussions with the government, the church was designated a national memorial site. Today, people visit the site to pay their respects, learn about the history, and remember the victims.
Entrance to the site is free, but visitors are encouraged to make small donations to help maintain it. This haunting site is a powerful example of dark tourism, best experienced through a personal visit to Nyamata Church and other genocide memorial sites across Rwanda.
