Kigali, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda in April is in the rainy season, with a light rain falling from the sky, and the village of Mbiyo Unity and Reconciliation in Eastern Province is full of greenery. Jacqueline greeted us warmly with open arms at the door of her house. She was a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda 30 years ago.
Jacqueline is 51 years old and a Tutsi native. When she was a girl, she had a happy and prosperous family. "We were at peace with our neighbors, both Hutus and Tutsi. ”
When memories came back to 1992, her voice began to fade. "Tutsi students began to be discriminated against in school. Because of this, she was forced to drop out of school in the sixth grade.
However, that was only the beginning of the tragedy. On 7 April 1994, when she returned from cowooning near her home, she found that her village had been mercilessly murdered by Hutu extremists, and that her father, siblings, and 65 other relatives had left her forever.
According to the Government of Rwanda, between April and July 1994, there were large-scale violent clashes between the Tutsi and Hutu clans in Rwanda, in which some 1 million people, most of them Tutsis, were killed. Only four members of Jacqueline's family, including her, survived the massacre.
Jacqueline first fled with many others to a nearby church seeking refuge. Later, he followed the crowd and fled to neighboring Burundi for three days. "I didn't eat for three days and survived only by drinking rain and muddy water. We stayed in the camp for two months. ”
After returning to Rwanda, she was homeless and placed in a nearby school. "I used to spend the whole day in fear and crying. "The traumatic experience left Jacqueline with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Later, Jacqueline participated in the new government's "Gacaca" court, an ancient "grass court" for resolving communal conflicts, bringing together victims of the massacre with perpetrators to learn the truth about the massacre, witness the perpetrators' confessions and confessions, and encourage forgiveness and forgiveness among the victims. "The perpetrators told me the truth, they apologized, they asked for forgiveness, they said they had been misled by the genocidal regime. ”
The Government of Rwanda has established eight Solidarity and Reconciliation Villages across the country to help impoverished Holocaust survivors, perpetrators and others rebuild their lives and promote reconciliation and trust through mutual assistance within communities.
Jacqueline's neighbor, Frederick, 55, was one of the perpetrators. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for his involvement in the massacre. "After I was released from prison, I was ashamed to meet survivors for the crimes I committed. My life was filled with fear and remorse. ”
Today, in the village of Mbiyo, former victims and perpetrators have become neighbours. "Their children go to the same school, play together and invite each other to social events. In our community and in the country as a whole, there is no distinction between Hutu and Tutsi communities. We are all Rwandans. Felicien Minani, former secretary of administration of Mbiyo County, told reporters.
It is also customary in the village to meet for a week every year from 7 April to discuss issues of unity and reconciliation. Some will also tell how they escaped the genocide, providing opportunities for young people and their descendants to learn about history and the truth.
"After the massacre, the country was completely destroyed, and the Government and people of Rwanda had to make a choice. "They chose reconciliation, worked to rebuild the country and restore the image of Rwanda, and built and developed entirely new economic, social and political institutions, and this is what we are seeing today: a country that is dynamic despite many challenges, and whose progress is evident." ”
At the end of the interview, Frederick came to Jacqueline's door, and the two stood side by side and waved goodbye to reporters. (Participating reporter: Dong Jianghui)