Iréné Barahira, son of assassinated Rwandan Prime Minister, shares his story of survival and resilience after 1994 genocide

This tragic event claimed the lives of his parents and over 800,000 people in 100 days. Iréné, along with his siblings, became exiles in Switzerland, carrying the deep emotional scars of the trauma. His mother, Agathe Uwilingiyimana, was the first woman to hold the position of Prime Minister in Rwanda.

On April 7, 1994, at the onset of the genocide, she and her husband were brutally murdered by the presidential guard. Iréné and his siblings narrowly escaped death thanks to the protection of UN peacekeepers and diplomats, leading to their swift exile in Switzerland. Iréné, who was 18 at the time, was a high school student aspiring to be a social worker.

He recounts a happy family life in Kigali, with his father, 43, a law professor, and his mother, 41, the Prime Minister. The family, including his sister Marie-Christine, 16, and brothers Christian, 14, Michel, 5, and Théo, 3, lived comfortably with household staff and protection from eleven Belgian peacekeepers due to their mother's position. This privileged childhood was abruptly shattered on April 6, 1994, when the presidential plane was shot down.

The following morning, their home was attacked, the Belgian guards were captured and killed, and his parents were forcibly taken away and murdered. Their bodies have never been found. Iréné and his