A karate fighter saved the lives of more than 100 Tutsis during the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Karate fighter Sinzi Tharcisse saved the lives of more than 100 Tutsis after they were attacked in their hiding place at the Institute of Agronomic Sciences of Rwanda (ISAR) Songa in the former Rusatira commune, Butare prefecture (Now Southern Province), reports KTPress.
Nicknamed ‘April father’ from his outstanding skills, Sinzi was among over 3400 Tutsis that gathered at the ISAR hoping it was a safe haven, after fleeing to save their lives in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
The 32 year old black belt Karate fighter mobilised the thousands of Tutsi to resist Interahamwe, the Hutu paramilitary organization that was targeting to kill them.
“I taught those who were with me some self-defense techniques using my Karate skills. I asked them to be strong and brave,” Sinzi told Kigali Today.
The training group stoned, beat up and chased away the interahamwe using traditional weapons in their fight for survival. They resisted for a week when an announcement from the national radio said that Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPA) had taken over Songa hill
“Since we heard that announcement on Radio, I told people that things are becoming worse that they must start moving. They first resisted thinking they could not leave their cattle. Others were Christians and said God will save them because nobody can kill a big number of people,” recalls Sinzi.
Interahamwe invaded their hiding place on April 27, using heavy weapons to bomb them and a helicopter hovered over to make sure nobody escaped.
However, Sinzi commanded survivors of the massacre to walk through barriers to reach Akanyaru River and successfully crossed to neighbouring Burundi. In Burundi, those who survived and crossed Akanyaru River were taken to a refugee camp called Bunnyari near Kirundo province
According to Sinzi among the survivors that were with him at the beginning only 118 survived from the genocide against Tutsi.
Sinzi, now 55, is proud of saving lives of people, even though he lost his parents, wife and child during the genocide. Sinzi was serving at the former National University of Rwanda when the genocide started.
The Chancellery for Heroes, National Orders and Decorations of Honor (CHENO)in Rwanda is planning to recognise Sinzi Tharcisse among national heroes officially for his unmatched bravery and humanity.
