The Senegalese soldier was among the African peacekeepers deployed to Rwanda in 1994 under the United Nations mission. The veterans are currently on a seven-day visit to Rwanda.
On April 7, 1994, Belgium decided to pull out its troops from Rwanda, a move that severely weakened UNAMIR. That same day, Belgium launched a strong campaign to have the entire mission dissolved and withdrawn from Rwanda.
Under Belgian pressure, the UN Security Council on April 21, 1994, drastically reduced UNAMIR's presence, leaving only 270 soldiersâ€"too few and ill-equipped to protect those being massacred.
Brig. Gen. Faye explained that they had every right to leave, since that was the official order. He was then part of the observer group assigned to monitor military activities.
'Those who left for Nairobi received $135 per day, while those of us who stayed under gunfire in Rwanda were given only $93. If we had left, we would have enjoyed good hotels, comfort, and safety. But choosing to remain here was choosing death. It was a major decision and a symbol of sacrifice for those who stayed," he recalled during an engagement with young people at the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
'Every day, we came closer to death. But our greatest joy was that sometimes we managed to save two or three lives, whether in areas controlled by the UN or by the Rwandan army," he added.
Mistaken for an 'Inyenzi'
Brig. Gen. Faye recalled an evening when he encountered Interahamwe who accused him of being an Inyenzi (a derogatory term for RPF Inkotanyi soldiers), even though he had already explained he was not Rwandan.
'That day I had been asked to escort a nun living near the Bralirwa factory. As we neared the convent, we saw three armed men who suddenly began shouting, 'Inyenzi, Inyenzi.' That was the first time I ever heard the word.'
He explained that after escorting the nun safely inside, he returned to find the armed group had grown from three to eight men.
'One had a rifle, the rest carried other weapons. I didn't run. Instead, I approached them and said, 'Don't mistake meâ€"I am not an Inyenzi, I am from Senegal.' One of them said, 'But you look like them.' I replied, 'Yes, but I am not.' He told me, 'You know, those people are witches. They can reach anywhere.' In the end, they let me go.'
Remembering His Fallen Comrade
Brig. Gen. Faye also remembered his close friend, Capt. Mbaye Diagne, describing him as an inseparable companion, since they had served together in another mission for four years before being deployed to Rwanda.
Capt. Mbaye, also Senegalese, was among the UN peacekeepers deployed to Rwanda in 1993 following the Arusha Accords between the Rwandan government and the RPF-Inkotanyi.
He served as a UN military observer, tasked with reporting information to UN leadership. Upon arrival, he was based at Hôtel des Mille Collines.
When President Habyarimana's plane was shot down, the genocide began almost immediately. The first victim was Prime Minister Agathe Uwiringiyimana, who was assassinated.
Hearing rumours of her death the following morning, Capt. Mbaye drove alone to her house to verify, without waiting for orders. He found that she had indeed been killed, along with the ten Belgian soldiers guarding her. Nearby, he discovered her children hiding and, though unarmed, managed to rescue them.
He placed the children in the boot of his car, covered them with clothes, and drove them to Hôtel des Mille Collines, where many had sought refuge.
Brig. Gen. Faye recalled:
'When he got to Agathe's house, he called me and told me she had been killed, but that he had found her children. He immediately informed Gen. Romeo Dallaire. From that day on, he kept saving lives until May 31, 1994â€"the day he was killed.'
On May 31, 1994, while carrying a message from Gen. Dallaire to the then Rwandan army chief, Augustin Bizimungu, Capt. Mbaye was stopped at a roadblock. A mortar shell exploded near his car, striking him in the head and killing him instantlyâ€"just as he was preparing to return home to Senegal.
Brig. Gen. Faye said he was among the first to arrive at the scene.
'Among the Senegalese contingent, there were several officers like Capt. Mbaye. Though not all had his level of courage, they shared the same spirit. Of the 29 observers, 25 chose to remain in Rwanda, carrying out different missions. They led by example, alongside us and other soldiers from countries such as Togo.'
Brig. Gen. Faye was among a group of former UN peacekeeping soldiers who recently visited Rwanda to share their experiences from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, particularly with youth and members of the Rwandan Defence Force.
IGIHE
