A 90-year-old survivor of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide has been killed in a violent attack in Kigali, according to a group representing genocide survivors.

The elderly man was reportedly stabbed and then burned to death in an attack involving several assailants. The incident has shocked the local community and renewed attention on the security of elderly genocide survivors in Rwanda.

According to information released by a survivors’ organisation, four of the alleged attackers had previously admitted involvement in the 1994 genocide. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the killing and the identities and motives of those involved.

The victim had survived one of the darkest periods in Rwanda’s history, when mass killings in 1994 claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Decades after the genocide, survivor communities continue to deal with the consequences of the violence and the loss of family members.

The latest killing has generated particular concern because of the victim’s age and his status as a genocide survivor. Community representatives have called for the circumstances of the attack to be fully investigated and for those responsible to face the legal process.

Police and other authorities are expected to examine evidence from the scene and determine how the attack unfolded. Investigators will also seek to establish whether the alleged perpetrators acted together and what led to the confrontation.

The incident comes against the background of Rwanda’s continuing efforts to preserve the memory of the 1994 genocide while maintaining reconciliation and community stability.

For genocide survivors, the killing has been particularly distressing, as many elderly survivors remain vulnerable because of their age and the long-term effects of the violence they experienced decades ago.

Authorities are continuing their investigation as relatives, survivor groups and members of the local community mourn the victim.

The case has drawn attention beyond the immediate community because of the victim’s history and the reported involvement of individuals linked to the country’s traumatic past.