This Sunny Sunday Morning, I was in my house, preparing to go to church and sin no more when a friend told me of “Mbyo Reconciliation Village” and I almost sinned. The concept is as follows, men killed so they were sentenced, but now they have purged their sentences and must somehow someway, be re-integrated into society. More importantly, the schisms between the tribes must be healed to avoid a repeat of the Holocaust. As such, at Mbyo, villagers, are placed in a sort of social experiment, where repentant-killers and survivors live together as neighbors. I understand the theoritical need for reconciliation, it’s just all so very tragic.
Did you know a staggering 15,000 Tutsi families in 1994 were effectively extinguished? Gone. Wiped.
Muhima. Akayesu. Ntakirutimana. Ndayambaje. Nahimana. Niyitegeka. I’m struck by the Christian names of most convicted Génocidaires. Perversion of Scriptures is one of my biggest pet peeve. They banalize God, view faith as disposable and when arrested, use religion as a tool to soften their bloodshed-tainted names.Suddenly everyone is a fervent man of faith? Sir, hmm… why is your Bible looking mighty crisp? Kinda-sorta like it’s never been used?
A family member recently taught me a new term: DARVO. This is a manipulative term often used by abusers to avoid taking responsibility. Deny. Attack. Reverse. Victimize. Offend.
Interahamwe Been Dervo-ing the heck out of us.
First they killed, mutilated, raped. Then they denied. Every accused always denies. Niko se ra, bariyishe? Then they confuse and reverse by saying , ACTUALLY it is us that were haunted. What follows is a poor attempt at victimization. They write books to share survival stories but the books are empty and poorly written, because 1)no story to tell, 2) they can’t write. This entire ordeal deeply offends real victims.
Nevertheless, for my God and for the future of Rwanda, the nation of my father and his fathers, I suppose I CAN forgive.
Mugihe Twenda Gucira Umwanda,
-Liv
LawyerLiv & Co. 
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