Nyabenda, Deogratias
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Interviewee Age
64
Interviewee Gender
Male
Interviewee Ethnicity
Hutu
Geographical Location(s) during the genocide
Vugizo
Interview Date
2025
Summary of Oral History
Nyabenda said soldiers disguised in the same camouflage as the rebels weaved their way through tall grass, armed with machetes, and started to kill any male in sight. Nyabenda explained that the soldiers told everyone to gather at 4 pm because the Hutu and Tutsis had established a peace treaty. As all the male citizens arrived for the meeting, they began to get slaughtered one by one. By the time the rebels realized they were being ambushed, many of them were already dead. Soldiers continued to flood Vuzigo, and Nyabenda said it didn’t matter if the victims were Hutu or Tutsi- anyone present was at risk of being killed. Among those who perished were Nyabenda’s father and three uncles. After his father died, Nyabenda shared that his mother became too traumatized to care for him. He became an orphan and made his way to Rwanda. Now, more than five decades later, Nyabenda said he hopes the next generation of Burundians learn their country’s history to prevent mass atrocities from happening in the future.
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Recommended Citation
Nyabenda, Deogratias, "Nyabenda, Deogratias" (2025). 1972 Burundi Genocide – Oral Histories. 37.
https://neiudc.neiu.edu/burundi-oral-histories/37
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