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Mahama (Rwanda): the Congolese community commemorated “the genocide” committed against the “Tutsis”

Congolese refugees including children follow the speeches of their leaders in Mahama, August 8, 2024 (SOS Médias Burundi)

Congolese refugees in Rwanda remembered this Thursday the killing of their “Tutsi” community which occured more than 20 years ago. They speak of “genocide” committed against the “Banyamulenge” and all “Rwandophones”. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Those living in Mahama camp in eastern Rwanda made a long parade inside the camp. On their signs, was written, “No to the Genocide committed against the Tutsis in Masisi”, “Justice for the Gatumba massacres in Burundi”, “the international community should not remain silent in the face of these tragedies”, etc…

They chose the fateful dates of 1997 and 2004.

Indeed, in August and December 1997, more than 100 Congolese refugees from the Tutsi community were massacred by a Hutu militia respectively in two camps of Nkamira and Mudende in the northwest of Rwanda. They had fled armed conflicts in eastern Congo.

And, in August 2004, more than 160 Congolese from the Banyamulenge community were in turn killed by Burundian rebels in a camp located in Gatumba in western Burundi.

This Thursday, Congolese refugees marked the 20th commemoration of what they denounced as a “genocide”.

“It is nothing less than a genocide perpetrated against people who were well known and targeted for their facial features and their language. So, the international community should qualify these massacres in this way and then seek out and punish the perpetrators,” said a representative of Congolese refugees at the Mahama camp.

“To these are added those who continue to be killed until this moment in different parts of the DRC. It is a shame that nothing is done first by the Congolese government which should protect its citizens or by the regional and international community,” add these refugees.

They still thank these two countries for the welcome and protection.

“Even if ours perished in Rwanda and Burundi, these two countries spare no effort to spare our women and girls from sexual violence, and ensure peace. Whoever manages to cross the border is saved. It is still a positive point and we are grateful for it,” they did not forget to define.

“But Burundi should take another step to arrest and judge those who claimed responsibility for the Gatumba massacres because they are known and are taking it easy,” recalled Congolese refugee leaders in their messages.

Burundian refugees also joined them to support their neighbors in the Mahama camp.

In this camp, Congolese refugees number more than 23,000 while the camp has a population of more than 63 thousand, the rest being Burundians.

These commemorations also took place in other camps in Rwanda which house refugees of Congolese origin. This country hosts more than 135,000 refugees including more than 84 thousand Congolese, mainly Tutsis from North Kivu and Banyamulenge from South Kivu.