Rukundakuvuga’s Triumph over Adversity

By George Kalisa

Rukundakuvuga JM Olivier is one of thousands of genocide survivors whose astonishing success is grounded in resilience, sheer determination and unwavering faith in God. He was born 50 years ago to Rukundakuvuga Juvénal and Kankindi Philomène. The couple that perished in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi lived in Kanyinya village in formely Taba Commune situated in Kamonyi District.

The unimaginable persecution during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and incredible hardships Rukundakuvuga experienced as a survivor at the age of 20 further solidified his resolve to pursue a better future, and impelled him to take up leadership responsibilities in the survivors’ associations in institutions of higher learning and later participated in the country’s development as a trained Lawyer.  

Olivier revealed to this reporter his life story as episodes of survival unfolded in the first two months into the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He said that it was God’s mercy and miraculous protection hand that he survived the genocide against the Tutsi.

“Personally, I’m grateful to the Almighty God for the gift of life He gave me without Him I would have died. I categorically attribute my survival and subsequent success in the post-genocide era to God.” Said Rukundakuvuga.

Rukundakuvuga said that he fell sick while in Kabgayi where close to 30, 000 displaced people had sought refuge. This was the very time betrayal befell him. The healthcare worker who was supposed to give him treatment tipped off the infamous Akayezu to this place, Rukundakuvuga reveals.

“On that day, Akayezu came to our camp and he did not find me for my health recovered the very day that had been earmarked for our killing.” Added Rukundakuvuga.

The RPA liberators arrived in Kabgayi on that day and saved us from the looming death.

Later, he learnt that the RPA liberators were heading to Butare (present-day Huye) according to their original plan. They adjusted their plan after news had reached them that there were thousands of Tutsi waiting to be slaughtered. When the liberators closed in, the Interahamwe militias opened fire on them.

“If the liberators had delayed to reach Kabgayi for about one hour or so, they would have found many of killed, indeed. We shall appreciate their sacrificial deeds all the time.” Recalled Rukundakuvuga.

He recalled that when the RPA soldiers met them, they ordered them to relocate to Ruhango. On their way to Ruhango, they had a stopover at Mugina where they spent a night and continued with the journey the next day. By then, a considerate number of the escapees was sick and at least 20 people died from different diseases per day. Hunger and malnutrition in children had taken a toll on the internally displaced people. Rukundakuvuga said that the poor health was hugely blamed on the lethal situation in a school in Kabgayi, which doubled as their new home for a couple of weeks.  

An urgent response to the situation by the RPA liberators involved providing three healthcare workers. In addition, they recruited all male youths who were students at High school level as volunteers to strengthen healthcare services. Rukundakuvuga was one of the youths who joined the healthcare unit of the RPF/A.

When the genocide started Rukundakuvuga was pursuing his Secondary school education at Groupe Scholaire Save. Before he joined Groupe Scholaire Save he studied at I’Institut de Formation Apostolique de Kimihurura (IFAK) in Kigali City.

“We assisted the doctors in various ways. I would give patients medicines after the doctors had diagnosed and prescribed treatment for them.” Recalled Rukundakuvuga.

“During our first three days, the death toll oscillated between 20 and 21 people. Imagine, one to escape being killed by the machete and they die of diseases and hunger!” Wondered Rukundakuvuga.

In spite of this situation, some people were still strong. They left Kabgayi for Ruhango on June 2, 1994.

“On June 15, 1994 we woke up to the bad news about the arrival the French troops. Immediately, we relocated to Bugesera. The group of healthcare providers continued to Iririma Hospital where we were later joined by the medical staff belonging to medicins sans frontiers (doctors without borders).” Said Rukundakuvuga.

Apparently, they were seemingly well facilitated. On the other hand, the perpetrators had looted the hospital equipment and the hospital was in a sorry-state.

By then, Rukundakuvuga thought he was the only person who had survived in the entire family. He, however, lived with growing hope of meeting his relatives who lived abroad at the time the genocide occurred. One of his sisters married and lived in Burundi. Also, his elder brother was studying from Burundi at the time.      

Well, while Rukundakuvuga was still in Iririma, he received the good news about the survival of his sister, Mukantagengwa Catherine and his brother-in-law, Mugabowindekwe. The couple lived in Byumba before the genocide.

Apparently, the RPA liberators had stopped the mass killings of the Tutsi in most parts of the country and the situation was gradually returning to normal. Notably, there was some success in the fight against malnutrition in young children.

“I wrote a very brief letter to Mukantagengwa to break news about my survival and the death of the family members including her own children – Musangwa Robert and Uwamwezi Delphine.” Said Rukundakuvuga.

After a couple of months, his brother who lived in Burundi returned to Rwanda and immediately visited Rukundakuvuga at Iririma Hospital. In their intimate and spoteneous conversation, Rukundakuvuga learnt that his brother had just met a few family members who survived the genocide in Kigali city. Rukundakuvuga went with him to Kigali City to visit the survivors and after he returned to his work place in Iririma.

He continued to work at Iririma until schools reopened, and he resumed his Secondary school education until he completed Senior Six in 1995.   

Between 1995-2000 he started his legal journey when he studied LLB in Law at the National University of Rwanda before he proceeded with LLM in Business Law at the same university. 

In 2017-2018, Rukundakuvuga went to the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) where he pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

From a Survivor to a Progressive Lawyer

Rukundakuvuga’s vision to see his homeland uphold justice along previous experience of injustice that was manifested in divisive politics, nepotism and genocide ideology propelled him to invest his mind and soul in the Law profession. He does not only boast a profound legal background but also multitalented with language and Information Communications Technology (ICT) skills.  He speaks and writes Kinyarwanda, French and English.

In 2024, he celebrated 20 years of offering dedicated judicial services in Rwanda and he is quite thankful to God for this enormous achievement. He stresses that the desire of seeing that all Rwandans receives justice grows stronger with the passage of days and still lives with the commitment to pursue this goal.

Since his University days, Rukundakuvuga held different positions of responsibility. As a student leader at the University of Rwanda, he had an opportunity to be one of the pioneer members of Association des Etudiants Et Éleves Rescapés Du Genocide (AERG). AERG is an association of student survivors of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi created on October 20, 1996 at the Universty of Rwanda formerly called Université National Du Rwanda (UNR) with the main mission  to connect and represent all student survivors (those whose parents and relatives were killed during Tutsi genocide) involved in higher learning or attending secondary school.

The student survivor association is dedicated to providing financial support, moral help, fighting genocide ideology and ensuring that students overcome trauma, homelessness and financial problems. In addition, AERG identifies the problems faced by student survivors and tries to find solutions for these problems including homelessness, lack of parental care, poverty, psycological trauma and unemployment.

Meanwhile, after AERG had celebrated its first anniversary, Rukundakuvuga was elected to the Executive Committee where he was in charge of Social Affairs. By then, the student genocide survivors were undergoing problems and challenges traced to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Their security was volatile, and evidence that student survivors lived under threat and suspicion was rampant in education instituations. Reports of trauma among the student survivors’ community in schools were on the rise. Many suffered from varying levels of trauma and depression while others preferred to live in seclusion.

“AERG boldly confronted the problem of trauma by creating two clubs to promote unity and seamless cohesion of Rwandans. Abakumburwa ,one of the clubs promoted talents in drama and enhanced the unity of Rwandans while the second one was called Inyamibwa. More efforts were invested in drama activities and were useful duing school outreaches. These platforms helped us to identify the problems our children in High school faced.    

The AERG leadership would engage the university administration on several problems and try to find solutions together.

Rukundakuvuga said that they embarked introducing AERG activities in Instititions of higher learning and in Secondary schools countrywide.

“We embarked on rolling out AERG programmes across the country in 1997 and started with Nyanza, in the Southern Province.” Said Rukundakuvuga, “We opened up AERG activities in universities such as KIST, KIE, Isaie et cetera.” Said Rukundakuvuga.  

“Notably, AERG empowered the student survivors to be confident and positive in the face of challenges. This largely explained the reason why many student survivors never despaired about their problems instead they ardently worked hard to overcome them and live with abundant hope for a better future.” He added.

Notheless, Rukundakuvuga recalled that after some time he became emotionless and sensitive about sad stories that naturally induce empathy.

“My feeling returned after listening to different warisome accounts about child headed households. I would receive at least four children heading child headed-households with tearjerking stories ranging from missing meals for three days and living in dire lack of healthcare services to facing injustices.” He recalled.  

“I shared my new moods with a friend we fellowshipped together at Coeuradorablede Jésus, Sœ Immaculée and woked at Lyée notre Dame who helped me to understand the changes in my moods, stressing that I was reclaiming the lost humanity in me, I had lost to severe trauma. Indeed, the counsel and guidance I received helped me grow in my faith and improve in my relationship with the vulnerable people whose plight was traced to the genocide.

The growing demand for counselling and support needed to effectivelly address the social and financial needs among student survivors led to the creation of a new association dubbed Groupe des Anciens Etudiants et Elèves Rescapés du Genocide (GAERG) in Butare but officially launched from Kigali City where its Head Offices are situated. GAERG is an organization founded by Rwandan graduate Genocide survivors with a mission of creating a world in which the memory of genocide is preserved and a self-sustaining genocide survivor’s community exists.     

Fortunately, FARG’s pioneer administrator, Amb. Kanyamashuli Janvier, was a man of high entergrity and would analyze a situation and consult everyone until a solution was found to it. He was passionately concerned about the welfare of the child headed households and could do everything within his reach and powers to improve their living standards.    

Rukundakuvuga’s momeries on his sacrificial efforts to address the plight of child headed households is the reason why he wishes him well wherever he is and in whatever he is doing to earn a living.  

He said that the hardships student survivors faced were unimagineable and the Genocide Survivors Support and Assistance Fund (FARG) had not yet been born. Problems such as limited access to scholastic materials, books, buckets and school fees.

Rukundakuvuga is grateful to FARG for the advocacy it vehemently provided many student survivors’ associations like Avega, AERG, AOCEM and others that emerged after 2001.The eventual improvement in the wellbeing of student survivors hugely accounts for FARG’s support to these associations.

Most of us lived with severe signs of trauma. There was a time when I was insensitive to any situation. I would react with overwhelming indifference and was merciless, and pitless. I saw this infamous character as normal. I recall the speeches I would courageously give during the previous memorial meetings. Friends would announce the deaths of their parents, and announcements made no sense to me to the extent of wondering about the fact that their parents were still alive.    

FARG supports vulnerable people who are survivors of genocide with education, health care, housing, social assistance and income generation activities. The genocide survivors’ association assists student survivors to easily access the basics of life including scholastic materials ranging from textbooks and uniforms to beddings, buckets and exercise books. FARG helped the homeless student survivors by paying for their upkeep in schools, which doubled as their homes.

Against all odds, houses were constructed and others rented for survivors, and such efforts aimed at improving the welfare of the student survivors.

He was a member of the High Council of the Judiciary of Rwanda since 2018 and is happy that he has been part of the legal revolution that took place duing the forst two decades of the post-genocide Rwanda.   

Since October 2008 Rukundakuvuga has worked at the Supreme Court of Rwanda as the Chief Registrar. Under the portifolio, he coordinate activities and develop appropriate strategies relating to the organization and functioning of the registry of courts in the country and he is responsible for developing and implementing plans related to the registry.

Other tasks include keeping court documents, making followup on the registry’s activities, and preparing court reports assign duties to registrars taking disciplinary measures of registrars, help parties settle the case if they agree and receive lawsuit. He verifies whether they fulfil the required conditions for entry into the register prepare the pre-trial conference schedule, conduct the pre-trial conference and prepare the pre-trial conference reports. He, also, prepares the trial schedule, assist judges in preparing cases whose dates for hearin are set.

He worked with the High Court of the Republic of Rwanda as the Chief Registrar before appointment to his current job.

Rukundakuvuga’s message to Rwandan citizenry 

Rukundakuvuga has different messages to all walks of life of the Rwandese people.  

His message to the liberators is quite emotional and a demonstration of gratitude to them for the sacrifice they made including losing life.

“Calm down, you’ve survived death (for humura ntugipfuye in Kinyarwanda).” I still hear this voice as if all things happened yeaterday. Those were the quite soothing words, the RPF/A liberators known locally as Inkotanyi said to the survivors of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi survivors.

The liberators restored our human dignity after undergoing immeasurable humiliation during the genocide, and they will be remembered for their heroic deeds, explains Rukundakuvuga. 

“It’s my sincere prayer that God continues to bless alongside guiding them as they lead the country to a paradise, which will be a pride of all the Rwandese people and generations.” Said Rukundakuvuga.  

“It is impossible to describe the role played by Inkotanyi in the liberation of Rwanda without underlining the pivotal role by H.E Paul Kagame. It is hard to get accurate adjectives to describe Kagame’s personality, but his heroic acts prove beyond doudt that he is patriotic and visionary who loves the Rwandan people.” He observed. 

Rukundakuvuga reminds survivors that there were rteasons behind their survival and hence strive to lead high a life defined by high standards. He appeals to genocide survivors to do whatever it can take to attract respect as the only way they can demonstrate appreciation to the liberators for reclaiming their human dignity, and our existence is a testimony that the enemy will never succeed in cleasing us.   

“Rwanda as a nation was destroyed to the ashes but was never deleted from the globe, its economy was on its knews but the country is back on its heels against all odds. Never again shall we tolerates those that wish to divide our country into pieces. Let’s strive together to build a nation that will flow of milk and honey.” Streses Rukundakuvuga.

Olivier walked down the aisle with Ingabire Mukeshimana Veneranda on December 30, 2006 and God has blessed them with four children, two of them are girls. These children are Ganza Umutoni Laica, Ishea Umunyana Michaella and Shema Kayigi Ryan. The English adage says “like father like son”. Olivier like his father Juvenal is a family man who intimately loves his children.

Rukundakuvuga is a devout Catholic, who belongs to Paroisse Nyamirambo, St Charles Luwanga. He is also a member of Ndi communauté de l’Emmanuel.

On how he spends his leisure time, Rukundakuvuga said that he spends it with his family engaged in intimate chatting and prayers.

“For instance, we recite the Rosary together.” He said.