Machete Season

“Up in the hills, I thought terrible cuttings were brewing and life would be all torn apart. But as for the marshes, truly, I did not think the blades and chaos would come down that far. I did not think it, but I felt it.”

This quote is from Rose Kubwimana, Adalbert’s mother. On the morning that the killing started in Nyamata, most were desensitized to Tutsi killings, since it had been a part of life in the region since 1959. However, no one was prepared for the extent of the killing in the marshes. Even many of the killers, including Rose’s son, were shocked by the order to kill every single Tutsi. 

“After the plane crash, we no longer worried about who had followed the teachings of the presidential party or the teachings of a rival party. We forgot all quarrels, and who had fallen out with whom in the past. We kept only one idea in the pot.” 

This quote from Ignace highlights the theme of gang identity. In order for the Hutu to kill every Tutsi, they had to remove all sub-identities, including political factions, that might prevent them from acting as one group of Hutus against the enemy Tutsis. This led to strong group cohesion within the gang, centered around Hutu identity.

“We have always remained friends, always been united the same way despite the calamities of life, exile, and prison. Whatever we have to do, we do it as comrades, in every situation.” 

This quote by Adalbert, the gang’s leader throughout, shows the strength of the gang and the gang’s identity. This strength allows the group to survive and to continue to be a source of protection and comfort for the killers, even long after the genocide. The quote reinforces that their bonds, which included anti-Tutsi sentiment, were part of the reason why they were able to kill so many Tutsis so quickly, in the marshes.