Introduction
Rwanda, a land of breathtaking beauty and resilient people, bears scars from the 1994 genocide a tragedy often remembered as a slaughter of Tutsis. Yet, the full story includes many Hutu individuals who also lost their lives, some for standing against the violence, others simply swept into the chaos. Their names are rarely spoken, their sacrifices overlooked. Today, we share the testimony of one such hero, Father Jean Bosco Munyaneza, a Hutu priest of Mukarange Parish in eastern Rwanda, under the Diocese of Kibungo. Alongside him stood Father Joseph Gatare, a Tutsi priest. Together, they defied the hatred that tore their nation apart, and their story must be told so the world may know their courage and the lives lost with them.
A Testimony of Father Jean Bosco Munyaneza
Father Jean Bosco was more than a priest; he was a beloved figure across Rwanda. In his youth, he was a gifted soccer player, so talented that he once played for the national team. His skill on the field brought joy and pride to his community, while his humility and warmth made him a friend to all. But it was his faith that truly defined him.
In 1993, after the assassination of Burundi’s Hutu President Melchior Ndadaye by Tutsi soldiers, ethnic tensions flared. Some parishioners asked Father Jean Bosco for a special Mass to honor the president but demanded that Father Joseph Gatare be excluded because he was Tutsi. Father Jean Bosco refused.
“In Christ, there is no Hutu or Tutsi,” he said. “We are one family. Every person is welcome here.”
His stand was a beacon of unity in a time of growing division.
When the genocide began on April 6, 1994, after President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down, thousands of terrified people (men, women, and children) fled to Mukarange Parish seeking safety. Father Jean Bosco opened the doors wide, offering food, shelter, and spiritual comfort. He worked tirelessly with Father Joseph to protect them, even organizing resistance against the attackers.
But from April 10, the parish faced relentless assaults from the Interahamwe militia, gendarmes, and government officials. Father Jean Bosco pleaded twice for military aid. Once, he was ignored; the second time, a small, inadequate detachment arrived. The refugees fought back with stones when all else failed, but the attacks continued, each one claiming more lives.
On April 11, after yet another raid, Father Jean Bosco, though heartbroken, remained resolute. Knowing help wouldn’t come, he gathered the survivors and baptized them under the dim glow of oil lamps, preparing their souls for what might lie ahead. That night, prayers and hymns filled the church a fragile thread of hope amid despair.
At dawn on April 12, the final assault struck. Father Jean Bosco was wounded in the arm by rifle fire. Offered a chance to escape, he stood firm and declared,
“If you want to save me, save them with me; if you want to kill them, kill me with them.”
The killers showed no mercy. Father Jean Bosco, Father Joseph, and most of the refugees were brutally murdered, dying together in a testament to love and solidarity.
Survivor Gilbert Nkurayija later said,
“Fr. Munyaneza gave his life for us. He chose to die for us when he had every opportunity to stay alive. He showed the kind of love you don’t often find. He did all he could possibly have done to save us, but in vain. Even then, he didn’t leave us to die alone but stayed with us even in death. We pray for his soul and remember him as we would one of our loved ones who are dead.”
Every April 12, survivors gather to honour those lost, holding Father Jean Bosco in special reverence, believing him worthy of sainthood.
My Position (Opinion)
The Rwandan government’s narrative around the genocide often centres on their own role in ending the violence, sidelining the remarkable acts of heroism by individuals like Father Jean Bosco Munyaneza. This selective recognition is not just an oversight it’s a deliberate agenda to claim sole credit for stopping the atrocities, dismissing those who risked everything to protect the hunted. Such an approach is deeply flawed.
Father Jean Bosco’s story is a testament to the power of individual courage and compassion in the face of militia driven terror. If Rwanda had ten such figures in every parish people willing to stand up and teach love over tribalism the genocide might never have taken root.
We share this story not to diminish the immense suffering of the Tutsi people during that dark time, but to illuminate a path forward. By amplifying Father Jean Bosco’s legacy, we can teach young people that heroism isn’t confined to governments or armies it lies in the everyday choice to defend humanity. These lessons of unity and love are vital to ensuring future generations prevent such horrors from ever happening again.
Conclusion
Father Jean Bosco Munyaneza was a priest, a soccer star, and a martyr who lived the Gospel’s call to love at the ultimate cost. His sacrifice, alongside Father Joseph Gatare and all the victims who perished with them, challenges us to choose unity over division, love over fear. As a Rwandan of a younger generation, I share this story so their memory endures. May their souls rest in peace, and may we carry their light forward, ensuring the world never forgets their heroism and the innocent lives lost beside them.