Kirundi


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Testimonies
 
 
 
"Everyone will have to die someday, I told them. 'If today is the day God wants me to die, then I will die today. However, I am innocent!'"
Cyprienne Ntaconzobimanitandekuye, Joseph Nahimana and Pascal Ndenzako (Continued.)

Cyprienne: I was standing outside the house when the killers arrived. Do you know what they had? They brought machetes, long knives and bats. They must have seen Pascal and his friend entering that house. They asked me where I had hidden them. "They have already left," I answered. "By now they must have reached the Cathedral."

"Aren't they in this house?" they asked. I answered that they were not there. "If we break in, won't we find them inside?" I told them that the house belonged to someone else who was away at work. "Even if you demolish the door, you will not find any anyone inside." Nevertheless, they tried to force their way in but they failed.

Pascal and his friend were frightened. I told the killers I was leaving. If they broke down the door they would be responsible for anything that went missing. "You are not reasonable, but remember that you are still human," I told them. "Aren't you ashamed of what you are doing?" I then left them and went to the other side of the house and sat there. Then one of them tried to scare me. "If you do not give them up to us," he told me, "we will kill you instead." Everyone will have to die someday, I told them. "If today is the day God wants me to die, then I will die today. However, I am innocent!"

Pascal: We stayed in the house and we kept quiet. I remember it was in October the 8th, I still remember that day. We were frightened. They started to throw stones on the house and on the windows. I was standing and one of the stones hit me here. I was injured. I still have a scar. I immediately crouched. They did not see me.

Cyprienne: Later the killers went away. I prepared food for Pascal and his friend and gave it to them through the window behind the house. I did not want anyone to see me. They were frightened but they ate.
 



© Burundi Voices Project, 2006.