Arusha — WOMEN AND GENOCIDE: TESTIMONIES OF SURVIVORS CARRIED IN A BOOK PUBLISHED BY AFRICAN RIGHTS IN 1995

Former Rwandan Minister for Family and Women Affairs Pauline Nyiramasuhuko began presenting her defence case at the International Criminal tribunal for Rwanda this week.

Nyiramasuhuko is the first women to be indicted by an international court for genocide and rape. Although she is the only woman who has so far been brought before the ICTR, many other women participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide in various ways.

"Not so innocent: When women become killers", is a book published by African Rights in 1995 detailing the role played by several women in the genocide that left about one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead.

The book mainly details accounts from survivors from different parts of Rwanda. It groups women who allegedly participated in the genocide according to the roles they allegedly played and also on their status in the society.

First are the women who played a large part in the massacres and killings, who are then categorised into those who led the killings, those who were coerced into killing, and women among the crowds of attackers.

Others are women accused of killing their husbands and children, women who turned on their neighbours, girls complicit in the murder of fellow pupils, those who sang in praise of the genocide and those who looted the dead.

It also talks about two women cabinet ministers in the Interim Government at the time of the genocide - Nyiramasuhuko and Agnes Ntamabyariro. Ntamabyariro who was then minister of justice is still in custody awaiting trial in Kigali.

The book carries detailed testimonies of survivors mostly from Butare province (South) who reportedly saw Nyiramasuhuko carrying out systematic acts of abduction and murder of Tutsis in Butare town. Nyiramasuhuko has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Others implicated are women who were councillors and 'responsables' (leaders at cell level). These civic leaders are described in the book as "women who distinguished themselves by their extraordinary cruelty." The book also dwells on three women journalists claimed to have used their positions to preach hatred and eventually encourage the genocide.

Catholic nuns are also not left out, as some of them are said to have co-operated with the killers. But others chose to assist the desperate refugees in various ways like hiding them, treating the wounded, providing food and fetching water for them. Several survivors interviewed give accounts of inhumane treatment they received from nuns at some convents where they sought refuge.

A number of women academics, teachers, school directors and inspectors participated actively in the genocide according to testimonies of survivors carried in the book.