Zura Karuhimbi Weaponized Witchcraft Reputation

During the 1994 Rwandan genocide, a woman named Zura Karuhimbi sheltered more than 100 people, including Tutsis, Burundians, and three Europeans, in and around her two-room home in Musamo Village. When armed Interahamwe militia arrived, she threatened to unleash spirits on them, covered her hands with skin-irritating herbs, and shook objects inside the house to imitate angry supernatural forces. The attackers believed her reputation as a witch and repeatedly backed away, allowing everyone she sheltered to survive. Karuhimbi later admitted that she had invented her magical powers to save lives, and Rwanda awarded her the Campaign Against Genocide Medal in 2006.

Previous Fact Next Fact