The Christian Church & Genocide

Once those missionaries determined that the people were politically mature enough to start the revolution, they moved on to weapons distribution.

For example, the Chief of Muremera parish, a German, in Cankuzo province was accused by the population of teaching some people to shoot a gun. In early 1988, another chief of Murore parish, also a German and also in Cankuzo province, was was caught carrying 6 AK-47 in his car.

In August 1988, 5,000 Tutsis were killed in attacks in Ntega and Marangara, which border Rwanda. Again the army had control over the situation. The fighters were hitting Burundi from bases in Kigali, Rwanda, supported by the Kigali regime from the 1970s to late in 1990s.

On 20 October, 1993, Melchior Ndadaye, the first duly elected Hutu president, from the SAHWANYA-FRODEBU party, was captured.  When news of his capture leaked out, the people barricaded some roads and destroyed others in protest and to prevent a military intervention.

On 21 October, 1993, Ndadaye was killed, unleashing waves of killings and reprisals between Hutus and Tutsi. 

Yet, even before the President was officially declared dead, around 200,000 civilians, Tutsis and moderate Hutus, had already been slaughtered.