Rwandan Soldiers (1997)

Excerpt from the draft of “Apostle to the Pygmies – The Doctor Jerry Galloway Story”

Later, 15 soldiers and 26 more refugees arrived, and the next day 11 more soldiers came. The truck left for Kiri with the soldiers and returned Saturday morning. A group of 26 more well-armed soldiers had arrived and they demanded to be immediately taken to Kiri. Their commander threatened to kill Father Daniel if he did not transport them.

The next evening, the 22 refugees who had passed through earlier returned. They were desperate and did not know which way to go. The Hutu did not speak Lingala or Lokanda, so they were unable to communicate. However, two Hutu women spoke French, and I could communicate with them. The two women had three children and they said they were tired and preferred to die rather than continue to flee. The mission lodged and fed them. In the morning, the 17 men left in the direction of the Zaire River. The two women and three children stayed at the mission. I hoped Kabila's soldiers would not harm them when they arrived.

The mission received a radio message from Kiri. Two hundred Hutu soldiers of the former Rwandese army, along with 150 Hutu women and children, had arrived there. They blocked the roads and occupied the airport and state buildings. They asked for a boat to transport them downriver. These were the same Hutu soldiers who killed the Tutsis in Rwanda.

I packed a trunk with my tent, sleeping mat, matches, candles, and clothes. I sent the chest to Luba's house, just in case we needed to flee into the forest.