Jean-Baptiste Habyalimana


Jean-Baptiste Habyalimana was the prefect of Butare in Rwanda who was killed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. He was the only Tutsi prefect at the time of the genocide, and also the only prefect belonging to the Liberal Party. He had resisted the genocide. Agnès Ntamabyaliro Rutagwera was implicated in arranging his murder.

Resistance and death

Habyalimana tried to resist the genocide in his prefecture, and refused to meet with the new interim government in Kigali on 11 April. Habyalimana put a temporary stop to the killing at Cyahinda church in Nyakizu commune on 17 April by his appearance. However, when driving back to Butare town that night, Radio Rwanda announced Habyalimana's dismissal as prefect on the 8 p.m. news. Habyalimana was present at the inauguration of the new prefect on the morning of 19 April in Butare town, but he soon went into hiding and evaded capture for weeks. He was eventually imprisoned and sent to the headquarters of the national government in Gitarama where he was executed. His wife and two daughters were also killed at a later time.