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Evariste Makangira
 
"As soon as he saw me, he asked me, 'Were they trying to kill you?' Yes, I answered. He took me into his house and grabbed his machete. "They will have to kill me before killing you,' he told me."
Evariste Makangira, Joseph Sindimwo, and Paul Ntiranyibagira
Evariste saved Joseph and Paul during the crisis. Evariste was honoured during a performance in Kinama in April 2006, when this interview took place.

Joseph: After President Ndadaye was killed, the situation for Tutsi in Kinama was very dangerous. Hutu militiamen waited for me as I was going home. They were saying they had to kill all the Tutsi in Kinama. I was captured when I was about to go home at around 7:30PM one evening. They took my shoes and they began to beat me. They planned to begin killing the Tutsi at 10PM. I was saved because I was caught earlier and they were going to wait until 10PM. Suddenly a car came from Muzinda road. When the saw the headlights, they released me and I ran away.

I was severely injured and I thought I was going to bleed to death. I got to the home of one of my Tutsi neighbours and he put on the alarm. This would alert the soldiers to come and save us. Since I was bleeding, I continued on my way to try and get help. When the alarm began ringing the Hutu killers arrived. After I left my neighbour I saw the Hutu approach his house so I lay down in a canal. They left me for dead and broke into his home. They discovered that he has already left for the Zone to inform the soldiers that I have been attacked. Some of them wanted to kill his wife but a few thought it was a bad idea. "If we kill her, we will be all killed," they said.

They captured an old man, the father of the Tutsi who went to ask for help and they beheaded him. The soldiers arrived and they began shooting at them. The Hutu ran away and it became very quiet. I stood up slowly and I went to Evariste's home. I do not remember how God showed me his home.

Evariste: We heard a sudden noise and my wife turned to me, "There is something that has just fallen close to the house!" We woke up and looked out. I asked my wife to bring Joseph inside the house. He had been injured on his knees and face.

Joseph: As soon as he saw me, he asked me, "Were they trying to kill you?" Yes, I answered. He took me into his house and grabbed his machete. "They will have to kill me before killing you," he told me. He applied some pennicillin on my back injuries.
 



© Burundi Voices Project, 2006.