Page 44 - Archangel
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congregation who fell prey to hatred and evil. If Operation Moses saved
and evacuated children from a village during night, Interanhabwe returned
the next day to execute the parents of those spared and any others who
aided their escape.
Far from killing Tinyuka’s mission with the pastor’s murder, his death
unleashed a femme fatale hero with righteous passion and faith which
became known even to General Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s eventual President
liberator who would erect a statue commemorating Keezie’s bravery.
Tinyuka and Marayika begged Lozi to speed up ‘Moses’ expansion before
an entire generation disappeared under the machetes of the Interanhabwe.
The sheer volume of refugees caught in the balance of genocide and
multinational theft and greed was staggering. Keezie administered rescue
efforts near the Goma refugee camp which swelled to over 1 million souls.
Originally from the province directly across Lake Kivu, Layla returned
home to organize rescue operations from Bukavu “with my eyes open
and my Christ leading the way until he brings me home.”
Operation Moses rescues intensified and increased in scope and
sophistication, as thousands more Tutsis finally realized the genocide
could consume them. Keezie had developed a church information
campaign which warned thousands more unsuspecting refugees not to
gather in camps as Militia Radio instructed. Those who didn’t listen were
stormed by Interanhabwe killers that turned those locations into ‘killing
fields.’ Despite her militia-broadcasted death threats, Layla’s reputation for
bravery grew as did her pleas to Christians around the world for support,
and her corroboration of Hutu militia atrocities for international media.
Marayika and her teammates had witnessed beheadings, severance of
limbs, gang rapes, and torture from armed hunting parties which used
everyone from infants to grandparents for target practice.
Tinyuka and Marayika’s collective courage, commitment and calling
built a Robinhood-like reputation and support among Rwandans,
both Tutsi and moderate Hutus. This notoriety infuriated the militia
butchers who intensified searches to find and kill both Keezie and Layla,
and increased bounties on all Operation Moses leaders. Interanhabwe
militia eventually vectored the operation’s remaining escape routes. The
refugee evacuation and settlement care system unfortunately grew out of
anonymity and into legend.
The die was cast and the Devils work done one fateful evening. Upon
return from a successful night crossing of refugees, Layla returned to
heart-breaking news. The beginning of the end started with Keezie being
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