Genocide survivor found dead in Belgium

By Eddie Nsabimana

 

Uwimabera (R) and her husband Eugene Mutabazi during a previous interview with Igihe.com, a local news website.

A Rwandan national, identified as Rosalie Uwimabera, was on Tuesday evening found dead in a bathroom at home in Louvain, Belgium.

It is suspected that Uwimabera, a survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, could have been a victim of a cardiac arrest.

She was in the country just last week, where she buried her family members who are among the remains of over 100 people killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that were exhumed last week from Rwezamenyo sector in Kigali.

The remains were unearthed from the courtyard of a home that formerly belonged to her father Jean Baptiste Rwagasana.

Residents work to exhume remains of victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwezamenyo Sector, Nyarugenge District on September 24, 2019. Remains of 100 victims have been uncovered. The victims were buried in the home of one Jean-Baptiste Rwagasana, who is one of the victims buried here. Emmanuel Kwizera.

Rwagasana was among the victims that were discovered at the site and were last week on Thursday interred at Nyanza Genocide Memorial in Kicukiro District.

The home where the remains of the victims, who largely belonged to the same family were recovered, is located in Rwezamenyo Sector in Nyarugenge District.

Uwimabera returned to Belgium on Saturday after burying her family.

Speaking to The New Times on Wednesday, Ibuka president, Prof Jean Pierre Dusingizemungu said that Uwimbabera was found dead by her daughter, after she collapsed in a bathroom.

It is suspected she was having a bath when she could have had a seizure and collapsed.

It remains unclear what exactly caused Uwimabera’s death but Dusingizemungu said her death may be linked to what she witnessed last week when she witnessed the equation of her family, 25 years after they were killed.

“She was no doubt devastated by the whole exercise and you cannot fail to connect her demise to the events of last week. She was here when her entire family was exhumed. It was so difficult to take in," said Dusingizemungu, adding that her death came as a big shock.

“We are so saddened to hear that she died after finding the remains of her family. We cannot make any speculations [about her death] but the situation she was in last week can have a devastating impact."

After the interment of her family last week, Uwimabera told media that she was relieved that she had finally found them and had them accorded a decent burial.

“I am very happy I found my little sister; the last born of our family...she can now get a decent burial. I am relieved now,” she said.

Uwimabera is survived by two children and a husband.

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