- "Years later, I was in Rwanda, trying to help local churches provide aid and sanctuary to refugees. I'd become close with the village elder, Gahiji. He and his family had the respect of everybody, Hutu and Tutsi alike. He'd helped them all; through famines, disease."
- ―Paul Lantom[src]
Gahiji was the elder of a village in Rwanda, considered by his neighbors as a holy man.
Biography[]
Helping Rwandan Refugees[]
- "Nobody would raise a hand against Gahiji. They said, 'Well... how can we kill such a holy man?'."
- ―Paul Lantom[src]
An elder of his village in Rwanda, Gahiji was a very respected figure by all of his neighbors, both Hutu and Tutsi, and helped all of them through all problems they had faced, such as famines and disease. Gahiji befriended Paul Lantom, an American missionary who had traveled to the country to help local churches provide sanctuary to refugees.
During the Rwandan genocide, the Hutu militia forced villagers to massacre their neighbors, but no one ever raised a hand against Gahiji, considering him a holy man. The militia commander sent soldiers to kill Gahiji and behead him in front of the entire village. Gahiji did not resist, and only asked for a chance to say goodbye to his family. Once he ended, even the soldiers were reluctant to kill Gahiji, and asked their commander for permission to shoot him and give him a quick death.
The commander, intrigued, wanted to meet Gahiji, out of curiosity for meeting a man who had won the respect of so many. Gahiji and the commander talked for many hours. However, when they were finished, the commander dragged Gahiji outside and hacked him and his entire family to pieces in front of his village and Lantom, who believed he saw the Devil himself in that man who killed Gahiji.[1]