Widow of murdered prison officer makes ‘challenging’ trip to Rwanda

THE widow of a Cookstown prison officer murdered by the Real IRA ten years ago has travelled to Rwanda for an educational trip which is expected to be “very challenging emotionally, but also spiritually”.

Yvonne Black, whose husband David was shot on the M1 motorway in November 2012 as he travelled to his work in Maghaberrry prison, is part of a delegation from victims’ group SEFF who are making the journey to the central African country.

During 1995, almost one million people were slaughtered in 100 days of intense violence through what has become known as the Rwandan genocide.

SEFF’s director of services, Kenny Donaldson, who is also on the trip, said, “Over the years many have looked to South Africa and other places in seeking to compare and contrast Northern Ireland’s issues as we emerge from 30-plus years of intense violence and continued sporadic violence.

“The truth is that no two nations nor their historical context are identical. However, we have felt within SEFF that one nation which is seldom examined or understood is Rwanda.”

The delegation from SEFF will spend 12 days travelling around Rwanda visiting a number of memorial sites, where those slaughtered through the genocide were often buried in mass graves.

Mr Donaldson said, “We will engage with victims and survivors of the genocide, some perpetrators who have repented of their crimes, church and state representatives and we will hear perspectives from Hutus and Tutsis.”

He added, “With the exception of myself, those SEFF representatives attending are all individuals who had immediate loved ones murdered as a result of terrorism; we expect the trip to be very challenging emotionally but also spiritually.”

The director of services also said that, as part of their visit, there will be a ‘Cow for Peace’ ceremony.

“Two cows, paid for by SEFF and the partner churches involved with this initiative, will be handed over to local Rwandans. We will also leave behind a legacy enabling the development of a well within a local village,” Mr Donaldson said.

“For us we want to do what we can to encourage the Rwandan people to develop and build for the future and whilst it may be the case they will learn from us; we anticipate learning much from them,” he added.