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Gatumba massacre : endless mourning for the Banyamulenge

SOS Médias Burundi

Bukavu / Bujumbura – August 13, 2025 – Twenty-one years after the Gatumba massacre, the pain remains raw and the thirst for justice undiminished. On Wednesday, the Banyamulenge community around the world commemorated this tragedy of August 13, 2004, which claimed the lives of at least 166 Congolese refugees, the majority of them members of the Banyamulenge community, mainly women, children, and the elderly, in a camp located on the border between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The attack, attributed to the Burundian Hutu rebels of the National Liberation Forces (FNL), then led by Agathon Rwasa, currently the main Burundian opposition figure who was excluded from this year’s elections, also left 108 injured and eight missing. At the time, the movement’s spokesperson, Pasteur Habimana, alias Méthuselah Nikobamye, initially claimed responsibility for the attack, before later denying it.

Commemorations in the DRC and Kenya

In the DRC, several ceremonies were held in Bukavu (South Kivu) and Goma (North Kivu), attended by leading political and military figures. Most of the two mineral-rich provinces are currently under the control of the M23, an armed group affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a politico-military movement hostile to Kinshasa.

In Bukavu, the military governor of South Kivu, Lawrence Kanyuka, and M23/AFC spokesperson, Willy Ngoma, attended the ceremony, alongside members of the local community. Vincent Runezerwa, a participant, praised the smooth running of the day :

« Before, we were prevented from commemorating, but today we honored our deceased with dignity, without any problems. We demand justice, because our people continue to be discriminated against and killed in the DRC. »

In Goma, Moïse Nyarugabo, Corneille Nangaa (AFC leader), and Bertrand Bisimwa (AFC political and diplomatic affairs officer) were among the dignitaries present. Sematungo, president of the Banyamulenge Mutual Association in Goma, reported :

« The M23/AFC leaders affirmed that this will not happen again and that they took up arms to defend the oppressed. »

The diaspora also marked the day in Nairobi, Kenya, where thousands of people dressed in black gathered, including Kenyan figures and representatives of the East African Community. Moving testimonies recalled not only Gatumba, but also other massacres, such as those in Kaminzobe, Ntayoberwa, and Kabongo, where the victims were allegedly mutilated and eaten by Mai-Mai militiamen, now incorporated into the Wazalendo militias maintained by the Congolese authorities.

Remembrance in Burundi

In Burundi, ceremonies took place in Bujumbura, the commercial capital, as well as in the refugee camps of Kinama (Buhumuza province) and Musasa (Butanyerera province, in the northeast).

In Bujumbura, participants went to the Gatumba memorial to lay wreaths, before another ceremony took place in the city center, at the Scheppers Hall in Nyakabiga, Mukaza district, where speeches were delivered.

Access to the cemetery where the victims are buried, however, was limited to 30 people, by decision of the Burundian authorities. No official Burundian or Congolese representatives were present. Several participants carried photos of their murdered loved ones.

From the United States, survivors shared their memories via an online platform. Nyamukesha, who was 14 years old at the time of the tragedy, recounted :

« They attacked us at night. I was with my mother, who was eight months pregnant. They fired many bullets. I was wounded in the arm and leg. My mother was hit in the stomach. Other people in the tent were killed… it was a dark night. »

Kazadi, another survivor, recalls :

« Around 8 p.m., we heard gunshots. Within 30 minutes, we could hear people shouting, ‘They’re killing us, it’s the end!’ The tents were burning, people were dying, and no one came to help us. »

The renewed call for justice

During his speech at the memorial, Lazare Rukunda, one of the leaders of the Banyamulenge community, expressed his gratitude to Burundi for the welcome and protection provided to the refugees, while issuing an urgent appeal :

« It is time for justice to be done. We call on the Burundian government, the international community, and the Congolese government to identify and prosecute those responsible for the Gatumba massacre. »

The Banyamulenge community denounces the persistent impunity and silence of national and international actors, particularly the UN, accused of never having kept its promises of justice to the victims.

Twenty-one years later, Gatumba remains an open wound. For the survivors and bereaved families, as long as the perpetrators of this massacre are not prosecuted, the page cannot be turned.