In 2018, the artist Natacha Nisic attended the appeal trial in France of the two men responsible for the genocide of the Tutsis, Tito Barahira and Octavien Ngenzi, in the commune of Kabarondo, Rwanda. She drew and took notes during the hearings, capturing the exchanges, atmospheres, postures, behaviours, tensions and emotions, and conveys this to us – without any claim to exhaustiveness or objectivity – in a state of operative incompleteness. As we peruse these written images, we, too, are gripped. This trial is crucial because of the issues it raises concerning history, justice and memory.
Excerpt from “Les Fumées”
On the morning of the 13th, I left early because I wanted to see my wife in Kabarondo*.
The refugees arrived at the market square and came face to face with Intera-hamwe* throwing grenades. They ran away and went to the church. We locked the doors until the burgomaster* arrived to ensure our safety. The gendarmes arrived and started shooting at the church. We wondered why those who were supposed to be looking after our safety fired on those we were supposed to be protecting. The soldiers arrived at the office. The soldiers started shooting at the church. Many people were in the courtyard. We were stunned.
