A witness to ‘hell on earth’ at Kibeho
SQNLDR Kathleen Pyne kept a diary about the scenes after the Kibeho massacre on April 22, 1995. These are excerpts from it.

The Kibeho camp, where about 2000 people were killed.

Photo by CPL Robin White

APRIL 22:
We are with Bravo Company, ZAMBATT at Rwamiko, we being FLTLT George Dohnalek, MO, and four Army members. We flew in by helo in anticipation of relieving our other CCP [Casualty Clearing Post]. They have been at Kibeho for four days.
We were on standby at the AUSMED Hospital to receive 11 casualties and were also on AME call to evacuate casualties, however the helos couldn’t land because of the gunfire. Next, we heard that we had 35 minutes to pack to join the first team. We flew over the camp on the way in – lots of light blue tent structures in a dirt pit.

APRIL 23:
Where do I start? have witnessed hell on earth today. We had reveille at 0400 hours and deployed to Kibeho to set up the CCP. It smelt strongly of death and filth – a scent we will never forget. We assessed six who we could do little for.
A few visions are etched in my mind: a man face down in a puddle of water; a body with a bullet in the head and a machete in hand; a mother and child looked up at me from inside the toilet pit. To look a severely injured person in the eye and have to turn away without treating him is not an easy thing to do.

APRIL 24:
It was an eerie feeling this morning as we approached the refugee camp. Hardly any people could be seen. The bodies were covered up and the NGO vehicles were evacuating the hospitals under the watchful eye of the RPA. Others left on foot, some passing us, some seeking assistance. We helped where we could.

APRIL 25:
We had an Anzac parade under a glorious sunrise. I was most proud to be chosen to read a prayer during our remembrance. We prayed for peace – it seems bizarre in the situation we are in – and hope and strength. We cannot and will not ever be able to accept what we have seen, nor imagine how dreadful it must be to see your loved ones slaughtered.

APRIL 26:
One of the infantry guys told me that some of the torturing and massacring has been done by women. I don’t know how and I don’t know who to feel sorry for or who are the innocent except for the very young children.

SQNLDR Kathleen Pyne with a favourite patient, Missy.

Photo by CPL Robin White

APRIL 27:
We did go back yesterday and personnel were appalled at what they saw. Barely living amongst the dead and dying, there were approximately 300 people [actually closer to 2000] in faeces, urine and every type of excrement ... This is all a mockery to human existence. We treated and evacuated eight people by ambulance. I was in the back with four of them and it took us four hours to reach Butare Hospital. The stench in the back was notorious; I was wearing a mask and suffering from hypoxia. Everyone stunk that night, of death and filth.

The infantry guys and others dug a mass grave for the 40 or so dead bodies they dragged out of the compound ... I have no desire whatsoever to go back to the IDP camp. Unfortunately, I don’t have a choice.

SQNLDR Pyne is at HQ Health Services Wing, RAAF Base Amberley.

 

 

 

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