Profiles of exemplary figures

in the Rwanda genocide

This section introduces some of the significant figures of the Rwanda genocide. One of the particular features of this contemporary holocaust was its speed and intensity – just 100 days to massacre a million people – preceded by a systematic plan to commit genocide that escaped the notice of all but a handful of people, such as Antonia Locatelli and André Sibomana. The United Nations bears grave responsibility for having failed to acknowledge the genocide project and thus put a timely halt to the killing.
Those who found a way to react in these circumstances, either by helping, rescuing or anyway expressing solidarity with their fellows are all the more worthy of our respect and consideration, since they stand out from a crowd of people who, despite being directly involved, either failed or did not wish to react.

Pierantonio Costa

Antonia Locatelli

Jacqueline Mukansonera

Paul Rusesabagina

André Sibomana