Nkhondo yolimbana ndi Atutsi yomwe inachitika mu 1994 ku Rwanda, inali imodzi mwa nkhondo zapachiweniweni zomwe zinafalikira mofulumira kwambiri komanso zoopsa kwambiri m’mbiri ya masiku ano. Bungwe la United Nations linanena kuti anthu pafupifupi 800,000 kapena 1,000,000 anaphedwa m’masiku 100. Ambiri omwe anaphedwa anali Atutsi, koma Ahutu omwe anakana kupha Atutsi nawonso anaphedwa. Zimenezi zikutanthauza kuti a Mboni za Yehova 2,500 omwe anali ku Rwanda anali pachiopsezo choti akhoza kuphedwa.

Abale ndi alongo athu pafupifupi 400 a ku Rwanda anafa pankhondo yapachiweniweniyo, ndipo ambiri mwa iwo anali Atutsi. Koma Ahutu omwe anali a Mboni nawonso anaphedwa chifukwa sanalole kuti avulaze anthu ena komanso chifukwa chofuna kupulumutsa Akhristu anzawo kuti asaphedwe.

M’bale Charles Rutaganira, yemwe ndi Mtutsi ndipo anapulumuka pankhondo yapachiweniweniyo zaka 25 zapitazo, akukumbukira bwino kwambiri zomwe zinachitika Lamlungu lina m’mawa, pomwe sanakayikire kuti aphedwa komanso mmene chikondi chololera kuvutikira ena chinamupulumutsira.

M’bale Rutaganira anaona ngati kutulo anthu olusa pafupifupi 30 atazungulira nyumba yake kuti adzamuukire. Iye anati: “Ambiri mwa anthuwo anali maneba anga. Tinkapatsana moni tsiku lililonse.” Koma gulu la anthulo litafika kunyumba kwake m’mawa wa tsiku limenelo, iye anaona kuti anthuwo anali atasintha. M’baleyu anati: “Maso awo anali ofiira komanso odzadza ndi chidani. Ankaoneka ngati nyama zolusa zomwe zikufunitsitsa kukhadzula nyama yomwe zagwira.”

Gulu la anthulo linavulaza M’bale Rutaganira ndi zikwanje, mikondo, komanso zibonga zomwe zinali ndi misomali. Anthuwo anachita zimenezi chifukwa choti M’bale Rutaganira anali Mtutsi. Kenako anamukokera mumsewu ndipo anamusiya komweko kuti afe. M’baleyu atagona pamsewupo asakudziwa bwinobwino zomwe zikumuchitikira komanso akutuluka magazi, gulu la anthu lomwe linali ndi mafosholo linafika kuti likakwilire thupi lake. Zikuoneka kuti mmodzi mwa anthuwo anazindikira M’bale Rutaganira kuti ndi Mkhristu wamtendere ndipo anafunsa kuti, “N’chifukwa chiyani apha wa Mboni za Yehovayu?” Panalibe amene anayankha. Nthawi yomweyo, mvula yamphamvu kwambiri inayamba kugwa ndipo anthuwo anachoka.

M’bale wina wa Chihutu dzina lake Samuel Rwamakuba yemwe ankakhala chapafupi, atamva zomwe zinachitikira M’bale Rutaganira, anatuma mwana wake wamwamuna kuti akatenge M’bale Rutaganira n’kubwera naye kunyumba kwawo ngakhale kuti kunkagwa mvula yamphamvu. Abale enanso awiri a Chihutu analimba mtima kudutsa m’misewu yoopsa kudzapereka mankhwala komanso mabandeji. Kenako gulu la anthu lomwe linavulaza M’bale Rutaganira linabweranso kudzamufunafuna. Atamupeza kunyumba ya Mhutu, mtsogoleri wa gululo anaopseza kuti: “Tibweranso mawa m’mawa kudzapha aliyense pakhomo pano.”

Abale onse a Chihutu anadziwa kuti akhoza kufa chifukwa chokomera mtima Atutsi. M’bale Rutaganira anati: “Ngati munthu wina amayenera kuphedwa ndiye iweyo wamupulumutsa, ndiye kuti iweyo akupha komanso apha munthuyo pa nthawi imodzi.”

Monga Mhutu, M’bale Rwamakuba anali ndi mwayi wothawa n’kudutsa m’marodibuloko momwe munkakhala alonda onyamula zida masana komanso usiku. Koma iye anakana kusiya m’bale wake wovulala wa Chitutsi, ndipo anamuuza kuti: “Sindikusiya. Kumene ukafere, inenso ndikafera komweko.”

M’mawa kwambiri tsiku lotsatira, asilikali anabwera n’kuyamba kumenya gulu lomwe linkapha anthu ndipo gululo linathawa.

M’bale Rutaganira atachira, anabwerera kwawo ndipo anapeza anthu ambiri a mumpingo wake ali ndi chisoni chifukwa cha okondedwa awo omwe anaphedwa popanda chifukwa. Pomwe ena mwa anthuwo ankavutika maganizo komanso kumva ululu chifukwa cha nkhanza zomwe anawachitira kapena chifukwa chogwiriridwa. M’bale Rutaganira akukumbukira kuti: “Miyezi yoyambirira nkhondo yapachiweniweniyi itangotha kumene, inali yovuta kwambiri.” Koma chifukwa cha chikondi komanso kumvetsetsana, abale ndi alongo a Chihutu ndi Chitutsi ankathandizana pa nthawi yovutayi. M’bale Rutaganira anati: “Iwo anachita khama kwambiri kuti asamachitirane zinthu mwachiphamaso kapena kugawikana.”

Ngakhale kuti anali ndi chisoni chachikulu, a Mboni m’dziko lonse la Rwanda anayambiranso kuchita misonkhano yawo ya Chikhristu komanso kugwira ntchito yolalikira. Anakumana ndi anthu ambiri omwe ankafuna kwambiri kutonthozedwa ndi mfundo za m’Baibulo. Anthu ena anapwetekedwa mtima kwambiri chifukwa choti anthu omwe ankawakonda anaphedwa mwankhanza. Ena ankavutika kwambiri ndi chikumbumtima chawo chifukwa cha zinthu zoipa kwambiri zomwe anachita. Anthu ambiri ku Rwanda anadzimva kuti agwiritsidwa fuwa la moto ndi maneba awo, atsogoleri awo andale, komanso makamaka atsogoleri a matchalitchi awo. (Onani bokosi lakuti “ Mmene Matchalitchi Anathandizira pa Nkhondo Yapachiweniweni ku Rwanda.”)

Komabe, anthu ambiri ku Rwanda anaona kuti a Mboni anali anthu a mtendere ndipo zimenezi zinawachititsa kukhala apadera. Mphunzitsi wina wa Chikatolika ndi ana ake 6 omwe anali Atutsi, anabisidwa ndi banja lina la Mboni lomwe sankadziwana nalo n’komwe. Mphunzitsiyu anati: “Ndimalemekeza kwambiri a Mboni za Yehova. . . . Anthu ambiri akudziwa kuti iwo sanachite nawo nkhondo yapachiweniweni.”

Nkhondo yapachiweniweni itatha ku Rwanda, anthu ambiri anabwera ku Nyumba za Ufumu kudzasonkhana. Pa avereji, wofalitsa aliyense ankachititsa maphunziro a Baibulo atatu. M’chaka chautumiki cha 1996, chiwerengero cha a Mboni ku Rwanda chinakwera kuposa 60 peresenti chifukwa anthu anali ndi chidwi ndi uthenga wa Ufumu wotonthoza.

Chaka chino ndi cha 25 kuchokera pamene nkhondo yapachiweniweni inatha ku Rwanda. Anthu ambiri, makamaka amene anapulumuka pa nkhondoyo, akuganizira kwambiri zomwe zinachitika pa nthawiyo. M’bale Rutaganira komanso anthu ena omwe anaona zomwe zinachitikazo, akukhulupirirabe kuti chikondi cha Chikhristu n’champhamvu kwambiri kuposa chidani chomwe chimakhalapo chifukwa chosiyana mitundu. M’bale Rutaganira anati: “Yesu anaphunzitsa otsatira ake enieni kuti azikonda anzawo kuposa mmene amadzikondera okha. Lero ndili ndi moyo chifukwa chikondi chamtundu umenewu ndi chenicheni pakati pa anthu a Yehova.”—Yohane 15:13.