By: Sr. Martina Machacon, OSS
How it Started
The conflict started with the shooting down of the plane of President Juvenal Habyimana, the President of Rwanda on April 6, 1994. Immediately after the incident, communications were cut off and Kigali was blocked. People started evacuating the city with their few belongings in a bundle on their heads to escape being killed.
Evacuation Operation
In the city of Kigali, Capital of Rwanda, there was an evacuation operation for the foreigners while fighting was going on. This was done at great risks to the rescuers. People had no where to cling to, either to the soldiers or to the rebels. Rebels were fighting for ideology while soldiers used their arms for robbery. Soldier filled their own houses with stolen things they took money or cows or stolen or any material possession. A cow is of great value to them because they can exchange it for a woman.
Brutal Massacre
Our Sister were over in Muruha which was near the rebel territory so our sister, Oblates of the Holy Spirit, saw with their own eyes brutal massacres of the population and the tragic situation, for example, an infirmarian who worked in our maternity hospital for twenty years was beaten like an animal till she died. Sr. Irene said, that it was very discouraging to treat the wounded people only to see them killed after her efforts to save them from dying. There were about two hundred Tutsi natives who took refuge in the parish church when the rebels passed by the place. They were set by the rebels but when they arrived home they were killed by their own friends and neighbors.
Last Minute Escape
When the Italian Cunsul saw that the situation in Muruha was so bad, he sent a helicopter to the help the Italian missionaries to get out of the place. A small helicopter with the capacity for only three passengers was sent to pick them up, three at a time and they were bought to Kigali another bigger helicopter brought them to Nairobi an Italian army plane took them to Italy.
Tears Rolled Down our Cheeks
In Kenya our own Sr. Irene was with this group. The helicopter was surrounded by the Rwandaise village people and the evacuees. Sr. Irene said, that tears were rolling down her cheeks while looking at those people whom she had been working with and leaving them helpless as there were no more foreigners whom they can rely. They could not trust their friends, neighbors and even their own relatives. The last one to move out from Muhura was our Superior, together with a Rwandaise sister, our parish priest with the Darnabito brother and the orphans gathered and sustained by an Italian lady benefactress. Now, the natives in Muhura are left all alone by themselves; no more missionary priest to feed them. I don’t know how they survive this time as there are no source of supply, no more food distribution, no planting and no harvesting.
Terror
I was on retreat when the war broke out. We had our retreat in Cyeza, a parish not far from the city Kigali. My companions were our native Rwanda sister and Sr. Faustina another Filipino Sister. It is a parish where our sisters run a vocational school. Every night we always prayed that we might get up the next day still alive.
Leave Now!
As the situation was getting worse day after day a Francescan priest came and told the Superior to get out of the country. One sister reminded us that life is more precious than our work activities. After a priest left the called all of us and said that we have to leave with her or stay. Nobody wanted to remain in their country except one sister, a Talsi, who decided to stay. We have not heard any news about her since then.
Tears in her Eyes
A Belgian parish priest asked why we would not stay to become martyrs. Sr. Faustina answered with tears in her eyes: “my mother is still alive,” I accept to become martyr but not to be cut into pieces and my naked body left on the road to rot.
Vital Documents
As I did not have a passport nor did the Rwandan Sister, the Fracescan priest helped us secure all the necessary travel documents just to pass the frontiers. On the 13th of April we were able to obtain the “protectoral authorization speciale de circulation” the pass to allow us to pass the borders.
Sleep Without Fear
On the early morning of April 14, 1994 we left Rwanda and arrived in Burundi in the afternoon, we were housed in the sisters convent, the ICM Community in Bujumbura. Sr. Josifina Ung, a Filipino, and her Belgian co-sister were very accommodating and very kind. Here we also met Sr. Narcisa of the Divine Zeal in Bujumbura, she is on her way home to the Philippines for vacation. We were given permission “Laissez Passes” by the Nuncio in Bujumbura and a visa to enter Italy, by Italian consulate. We left Bujumbura on the 16th and arrived Rome on the 17th. At last, we were able to sleep without fear of someone knocking or any strange noise that means danger for our lives.
Alive: Thank God
A better runner from the first base Muhura to second base Cyeza, I was able to reach the third base Bujumbura and finally arrived safe and sound to the home base, Italy, ALIVE.
THANKS BE TO GOD!
Every night we always prayed that we might get up the next day still alive.