Rwanda – Bishop Augustin Habimana of the Anglican Church Diocese of Kivu, together with several pastors, publicly knelt down to ask forgiveness for the actions of their former colleague, Pastor Lazard Semuhirwa, who refused to shelter Tutsis seeking refuge at Shwemu Parish in Rubavu District during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The emotional moment took place during the 32nd commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi after participants listened to the testimony of genocide survivor Niyigena Drocella, who was only 10 years old in 1994. Niyigena shared how her experience at the Anglican church left deep emotional wounds and caused her to reject the church completely.
In her testimony, Niyigena recounted fleeing through the hills while desperately searching for safety during the genocide. Believing the church would provide protection, she sought refuge at the Anglican Church at Shwemu Parish. However, she said Pastor Semuhirwa refused to open the church doors and ordered her to leave.
“I fled to the Anglican Church at Shwemu Parish and asked the pastor to open the church so I could hide inside, but he chased me away and told me to leave,” Niyigena testified. “This made me reject this church for the rest of my life.”
She explained that after being turned away, she spent many days hiding and sleeping in the bushes while trying to survive. Eventually, a woman who was a friend of her family risked her own life to help save her. The woman disguised Niyigena under vegetables and secretly transported her across the border to Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she survived.
Following the testimony, Bishop Habimana and other Anglican pastors invited Niyigena to stand before the gathering. The church leaders then knelt before her and asked for forgiveness on behalf of Pastor Semuhirwa and the Anglican Church.
The bishop acknowledged that Niyigena had every reason to reject the church because the pastor she trusted failed to show compassion and humanity at a moment when her life depended on it.
“She fled to the Anglican church, but they refused to open for them and chased them away,” Bishop Habimana said. “A shepherd of God’s flock became a wolf. Such actions disgrace our pastoral ministry. He sent her away to die, and he did the same to others, refusing to hide them and they were killed. Saying that you rejected the Anglican Church is understandable because we are not worthy of being loved. We failed you, and God is the one who saved you. We stand here on behalf of Pastor Lazard asking for your forgiveness.”
The pastors remained kneeling as they continued asking for forgiveness from the survivor who had been abandoned during one of the darkest moments in Rwanda’s history.
Bishop Habimana also condemned the role played by some Christians and religious leaders during the Genocide against the Tutsi, saying it was shameful that some believers turned against fellow worshippers and that some pastors failed to protect the people entrusted to them.
Gerard Mbarushimana, President of IBUKA in Rubavu District, said the genocide was in some cases encouraged by certain religious leaders who spread dangerous ideology and misinformation.
“The genocide was fueled by some religious leaders who claimed that if the Inkotanyi took power, they would be replaced by Tutsis,” Mbarushimana said. “Some even falsely preached that Tutsis had been rejected by God.”
Rubavu District Mayor Prosper Mulindwa said many survivors lost trust in religious institutions because of what they witnessed during the genocide.
“Rejecting religion can be understandable because there are still people wearing religious clothing whose behavior is completely different from what they preach,” Mayor Mulindwa said. “They never separated themselves from evil. That is why many people rejected churches because of what they witnessed, and all of this resulted from poor leadership.”
Mayor Mulindwa urged Christians to uphold Rwandan values and criticized Pastor Semuhirwa for failing to protect vulnerable people seeking refuge in the church. He emphasized that Christianity and Rwandan values should both be rooted in humanity, compassion, and protection of life.
The information from the community and church members indicate that Pastor Lazard Semuhirwa later fled Rwanda during the insurgency war in 1998. It is currently reported that he established the Episcopal Church, known as Eglise Episcopale, in the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
