Justice for Agathon Rwasa responsible for the massacre of the banyamulenge in Gatumba/Burundi 2004.

Two days after the massacre at the Gatumba Refugee Camp in Burundi, Burundian Hutu militia leader Agathon Rwasa openly claimed responsibility over The French International Radio, RIF. Belgian lawyer Philip Reytens called Rwasa on the phone and asked him if he was the one responsible. Rwasa proudly admitted, “Yes, I am responsible for killing the Banyamulenge in the camp.”
Why has this man not been brought to justice? I ask all those who read this, and the international community as a whole, to help bring this man to justice. I believe that Agathon Rwasa lives in Burundi. The survivors of the massacre cannot find peace or security while he is living free in the same country.

When will he be brought to justice for these crimes? If he and the organization responsible for the massacre in 2004 are not held accountable, they will be able to commit atrocities such as this again in the future.
Nearly five years have passed since the 2004 massacre in Gatumba. Why the silence about continued injustices towards the Banyamulenge? Why has the international community not done anything to stop this violence and redress these human rights violations?

Twenty-One Banyamulenge Unjustly Jailed in Kenya Since Sept. 5, 2008

This post is about twenty-one young Banyamulenge men, ages 25-28, who are being held in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. They lived in the Bundabu or Kakuma camps in Kenya, among other refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. There were also many refugees of the Bembe ethnic group. Relations between the two ethnic groups in the camps are strained, and some Bembe have said they no longer wish to live in the same camps with the Banyamulenge.
In the Nairobi camp Kakuma, the Bembe are the majority and also part of the staff. Sensing the possibility of a revolt by the Bembe, the Banyamulenge minority in the camps felt that the only alternative was to evacuate the camps and find safety elsewhere. A group of 21 young men went to the offices of the UN High Council of Refugees, where they thought they would be protected. However, they were arrested by Kenyan police and put in jail.
This group of 21 Banyamulenge men has become well-known in Kenya. These men have committed no crime, and their imprisonment is a violation of their human rights.
Banyamulenge have suffered from violence and displacement from their homes in Congo, been massacred at refugee camps in Burundi, and are now being imprisoned in Kenya. What indignity is next?
The Banyamulenge have been scattered to different countries in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. We cannot return home without being murdered, and we live as refugees in countries where we are not wanted.
First, it was in Congo; yesterday it was in Burundi in the Gatumba refugee camp in 2004. Today it is in Kenya that the Banyamulenge are undergoing imprisonment without access to attorneys; and tomorrow it will be elsewhere.

WHY THE BANYAMULENGE CAME TO BE MASSACRED WITHOUT PROTECTION OR CENSURE

The banyamulenge,like other person ,are Congolese who speak the language of same Rwandese and are found in various provinces in congo .the have been a majority for man centuries in the regions of South Kivu ,they are ethnic Tutsi.

The banyamulenge know exclusion and persecution ,both police and social, as well as cyclic massacres which continue even to day.
This martyrdom in particular originates from the muleliste era using the same ideology which identifies peoples by during the muleliste period from 1964 until the refugee camps in Burundi in 2004,the banyamulenge people experienced years of misery due to bad political situations .

Even to day, the banyamulenge continue to undergo slaughters in Congo, Burundi and Kenya.
They young people continue to be imprisoned reason only for being munyamulenge the case to denounce these events which are currently occurring in Burundi.
Those who speak out against this violence and injustice are quickly punished
More than five young banyamulenge three months go are currently imprisoned for absolutely nothing except according to the Burundian police officers, they do not have identification.

We should not remain silent about this violence against our people and the perpetrators of these crimes are brought to justice.
When we ask both national and international organization to protect banyamulenge in country great lakes.

ABDALLAH AND THE ORPHANS OF GATUMBA MASSACRE

This is Abdallah, born in Congo in the city of Kinshasa grew up in the same city.
Is married to a women and the father of two children: one boy and one girl.
In 1998 war came to Congo again the banyamulenge, who have always been the object of war in Congo
He was threatened the by the soldiers of the former called KATA NYAMA (CUT THE MEAT) of the government of MOBUTU , He will be a prisoner for many days because he collaborates with the banyamulenges at times and he resembles the banyamulenges ,during this period he war caused her to be separated from this children .

After a few days ,he was liberated along with some members of his family because the American government had allowed them to immigrate to the USA ,they transferred to a refugee camp in CAMEROUN where they meet with other banyamulenge coming to congo ,who where from different regions of congo like (buji-mayi,eastern kasayi the survivors of the massacres in Lumbubashi ,kisangani etc)

After six months ,the American government accepted our immigration to the united states,abdallah was relocated to California with his wife and his older sister ,who has two children of her own.
As the years went by the family adapter to American life and culture, in 2006, he received his American citizenship.

After four years, he had the opportunity to bring one of his children, his son, over to America. But his daughter remains in Congo. Even though he is an American citizen, he doesn’t have peace in his heart being so far away from this daughter.

When my family and I arrived in California in 2007, Abdallah took us under his wing. He did everything from helping to translate at the hospital to taking us on walks around our new neighborhood.

Abdullah asked us to tell him about the situation which happened in the refugee camps in Burundi, because he had been hearing about it on the radio since the year it happened, but up until now he did not know the whole story.
We told how we were saved in the massacre of Kalemie, Congo and of the refugee camp Gatumba/Burundi in 2004.
And how we have left many children orphaned and many handicapped.
Abdallah, taken with emotion, cried for these children left behind by the dirty massacre by the Congolese military, the FNL, the Mai-Mai and the interahamwe.
He took it upon himself to return to Burundi.

. We congratulate Mr. Abdallah for his love and his courage to leave California and go to Africa to see the children orphaned in the massacre of Gatumba/Burundi.

We ask any person who has the means to please think of the orphaned children who are suffering in Burundi – help them to continue their studies.

Speech given in the Christian Cathedral of church in Oakland by Jean-Claude on August, 13, 2007

Hello. In the name of all the escaped victims of Gatumba who now find themselves in America and in the name of my family, we are grateful for the actions of United States government. We deeply thank you for your great generosity in allowing us to come and live in your country.
We thank the International Refugee Commission, the IRC, for helping us to get settled and begin getting accustomed to life in the US. Last but not least, thank you to the Cathedral for giving us this opportunity to commemorate this day. Finally, our sincere thanks are addressed to the various volunteers who have helped us during these past four months.
Our people were massacred. At the Gatumba Refugee Camp in Burundi, where my family and I lived, one hundred sixty six people were killed and 117 were wounded.
On the night of Friday the 13th of August, 2004, at 10:00 pm, we were attacked by the Mayi -Mayi, or the FAC, the Congolese Armed Forces, the Interahamwe of Rwanda and the FNL, the National Front for Liberating Burundi. They came beating drums and singing "Hallelujah"
They then threw exploding grenades, fire bombs, and other explosives which set fire to the canvas tents. One hundred and sixty six refugees were massacred and one hundred and six were wounded, children, women and men alike. The majority of the victims were killed by being burned alive. It is especially tragic that these men, women, and children lost their lives in a country where they were refugees, a place of supposed safety where they were being protected. We will never again forget the night of August 13, 2004.
To end, we ask:
-To give justice to all the survivors of Gatumba by creating an International Tribunal to bring those responsible AGATHON RWASA for the massacre to justice.
-That the international community intervene for the survival of the Banyamulenge minority from Congo who remain there at this time.
-To officially name August 13 or 14th as an International Day of Remembrance each year, and as a memory of a great violation of human rights in the Gatumba camp, a crime against humanity.
-To morally assist the escaped victims that now find themselves in the USA, because they have lost almost all their foundations for life.

Chantal’s Near Escape from Two Massacres in Congo

I was just three inches a way from being killed.

It was the night of August 13, 2004 in Gatumba. On this night, many innocent women, children, and men were killed.

When I was young, I narrowly escaped two massacres in Gatumba and Kalemie, which targeted the Banyamulenge people.

I could do nothing but pray to God to save me and my people.

I just couldn’t believe where my life had taken me. At that time, I thought, you just feel like you’re waiting to die.

This was the fourth time in recent years that a massacre happened to my people. Even today, there has been no justice.

Even though they happened when I was young, I can remember the terrible things that happened to my people, the massacres in Congo at Kalemie and Vyura, and at the Burundian refugee camp in Gatumba.

I leaned to trust in God, and asked Him to send me and my family to America. Then the greatest thing happened.

Since I arrived in the US, I have shared these stories of my people with friends, cousins, and teachers. My brother, Jean-Claude, has made contact with different NGOs in California, trying to spread the word about the humanitarian crisis taking place in Congo and Burundi. It’s a terrible to explain what has happened to the Banyamulenge during these massacres.”

Thank you to the readers of this bog for learning the truth about the Banyamulenge. I hope that one day you will read the book that my brother is writing about the Banyamulenge during the Muleliste reign of terror from 1964 to 2004.

I pray daily for the grace to forgive those who killed my father, my uncle, family members, and all my people that I knew and loved.

My family and I have received a very warm welcome in the United States by the IRC [the International Refugee Commission)

Four days after arriving, I began high school at Skyline High in Oakland. I was placed in the 10th grade (despite the fact that I was an 11th grader in Burundi!). I have made many friends at school and near our home. Some of them are American, and many others come from Africa like us.

Apart from my classes at school, I have taken classes in photography at the IRC. In three months, I will earn a certificate in photography.

I am proud to be a photographer. One day, I would like to go back to my country and take pictures of my hometown and the beautiful countryside around it.

A year ago, a volunteer named Matthew began coming to the house to tutor me and my older sister in English. He is helping me learn to speak English well, like an American. This will help me continue my studies and have a good job one day.

He comes to the house each Tuesday and Thursday evening. One time, we asked him to take us into the city of San Francisco, and we went together and visited the city and some beautiful parks.

12/07/08 chantal survivors

Surviving a Massacre banyamulenge and Moving to California, as dictated in Kinyarwanda by Dorcas Nasunika

I resettled in the United States from the Republic of Burundi in Africa after my family and I survived two massacres in East Africa. The first massacre took place in our hometown in the region of Kalemie in Eastern Congo in 1998.

On an evening in the fall of 1998, my family and I were at home, not realizing that extremists had spread propaganda throughout the town, urging a person to kill anyone who was Banyamulenge.

Several hours after the violence began, my family was forced by soldiers into a truck and taken far outside of the town. The soldiers ordered us out of the truck, and proceeded to kill all 78 of the men and boys. They shot some with their rifles and savagely attacked others with machetes. Still others were buried alive and left to suffocate.

The women, over 100 of us, were placed in a prison and told that we would be killed soon. We were given neither food nor water. After six weeks, thanks to God, a force of Rwandan soldiers arrived by helicopter to rescue us. Our captor’s captain, Lokole Madowadowa, gave the order to evacuate, and we were freed.

After that, my family was resettled in the Gatumba Refugee Camp in Burundi. Life was difficult and we often feared for our safety. On the night of August 13th 2004, the camp was attacked by a group of soldiers and civilians determined to exterminate the ethnic Tutsi Banyamulenge refugees. In all, 166 people were killed and hundreds more were severely wounded.

However, my immediate family and I survived.

I lost two cousins and many family members were entirely wiped away.

The massacre was carefully planed and executed with the goal of killing everybody in the camp. Some of the attackers surrounded the camp while other entered, indiscriminately killing women, children and men. Four groups of extremist Hutu rebels, the FNL, Palipe Hutu, Mai -Mai, and FAC, claimed responsibility for the attack.

My family was lucky to be selected among the small group that got resettled here in the USA. Several families that survived the Gatumba massacre are still in Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi. Many, many others are scattered in different camps throughout the country.

My family was among the first group to be taken to the United States on March 19, 2007, to live in California.

I came with my immediate family: my two sons: Chantal, Inginerie, my daughter: Jean claude, and my daughter-in-law Kadomo, the wife of my younger son.

We were welcomed by an agency called IRC (the International Rescue Commission). Many people helped us to settle in and adapt to life in the US. Life is filled with new challenges now, but I will never forget the days in Kalemie and Gatumba.

I hope that everyone who reads this will gain some understanding about the terrible things that have happened to my people, and that the World will never again allow this to happen.

interview by jea claude nov.17.08

Jean-Claude in Conversation with the Secretariat of Amnesty International in london

I am eager to discuss with you my project, which documents a tragic massacre which I survived in Burundi.

I am an refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) living in California. I am working hard to publish information on the genocide and human rights abuses in the DRC. I have not only survived this massacre, but my writings contain extensive documentation and proof, including witness statements, photos, and outside organizations' references.

Since you are an extremely reputable human rights organization, I would like to ask you, how I help to bring the perpetrators of this massacre to justice? What concrete steps can we take?

In addition, how can we protect the rights of the children and families who survived this massacre? How can we improve their situation?

Please let me know if you have any thoughts, recommendations, or resources to assist me.

jc T.NOV.4.08

Six Extraordinary Young Banyamulenge Women in RWANDA

A group of six young Banyamulenge women are doing everything they can to help relieve the suffering being endured by their people. Their names are: Rachel Zaninka, Solange Mugeni, Lea Kamikazi, ChristellaKamikazi, Chantal Bitanga, and Jeanne Mutesi.
Having recently finished their studies at the Free University of Kigali, they have formed an organization to help orphans and widows of the massacres in Congo and Burundi. They are also helping orphans who are currently living in Rwanda, at two camps in Kibuye and Byumba. They also visit widows in the camps to provide companionship and assistance.

RACHEL . Z.

Profile of Mporina: Survivor of the 2004 Massacre in Bukavu

Mporina is the name of a 46-year old mother of five, a widow since 1998. She was in her house in the town of Bukavu on May 25th, 2004 at 3pm in the afternoon, when the massacre began. She was violently sexually assaulted by five men from the Interhamwe. The Interhamwe (rebel Hutu) and among the Congolese military whose mission was to exterminate the people banyamulenge in Bukavu/Congo.
The men tied a cable around her neck so that they could take turns violating her. They left her half dead.

Today, Mporina lives in a refugee camp in Byumba, Rwanda. She has not received any sufficient treatment for her injuries, and is confined to a bed, unable to move. She is handicapped, in pain, she needs an expensive operation, and she needs help to payer for it.
She is unable to speak.
Her husband was killed in genocide, 1998.

We ask the international NGOs that have the mission in this corner as: a human right of volunteers, save the lives of survivors MPORINA women who are in Rwanda.

The Banyamulenge and Religion

The Banyamulenge are, by and large, a people of faith--over 90% believe in God. People’s faith is underlined by a spirit of service to God and church: Young men and women sing in choirs, and many of them dream of becoming pastors or church elders when they grow up.

Services are joyful occasions, filled with prayer and songs of thanks and praise. They also do a dance in church called the "igisirimba", to the rhythm of the piano.

The custom is to go to church to three times each week, on saturday afternoon,sanday morning and afternoon.

We lost many Christians in massacre the Congo and in the refugee camp of Gatumba / Burundi in 2004. They had men who serve God and other men to serve God. Here’re the pictures or Banyamulenge serving God.

The promised national and international to massacre banyamulenge in Gatumba / BURUNDI 2004

DOMITIEN NDAYIZEYE ex Brundian President and AZARIAS RUBERWA ex Congolese vice-president.

CAROLYNE MAC ASKIE Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Burundi I remember in 2004 the entairement of innocent Banyamulenge in Gatumba massacre / BURUNDI that the different national authorities with the promise of international prosecution of perpetrators of Gatumba massacre.

The 1996 Banyamulenge children taken to Tanzanian

Sadly, the international community is not aware of this situation. Mr. Mukiza Nelson has investigated how to return children who are being held as slaves in Tanzania to their parents. He has delivered this report to the UNHCR, Amnesty International, and the governments of Tanzania and the RDC.

What planet are we on where slavery can still exist?

I cannot understand why the world is silent on this issue. If you would like to know more about the reality of the events I described here, continue to read this blog, or contact me at jmusore@aol.com or Mr. Nelson at mukiza@hotmail.com.

Today, we mourn our brother and sister who have been taken by the aggressors of Bembé origin and manipulated by the Tanzanian government. To this day, they live in two camps near the town of Kigoma in Tanzania, where they live like slaves with poor living conditions. Bembe who crossed the border from Tanzania into Congo were also responsible for the massacre at Bibokoboko in 1996.


Many children were taken from their homes at such a young age that they cannot remember their parents.

Banyamulenge Survivors in America

We remember October 2006, when the USA announced that it would welcome more than 10,000 refugees from Burundi who had lived in camps in Tanzania since 1972. Today it was the turn for the Congolese survivors on the Gatumba massacre in Burundi. A representative from the UN High Council on Refugees made the announcement.

As individuals and humanitarians, we thank the Americans for this great act of generosity. However, there remain many other Banyamulenges in need of assistance: survivors of the 1998 massacre in Lumbubashi, in Kalmia, in Vyura, Gatanga, and the 1996 massacre in Bibokobongo in Fizi, in 2004 in Bukavu in the South Kivu, and other refugees who are displaced from their homes and continue to eke out a living in Burundi.

We call for justice on behalf of the survivors. An international tribunal should be created to try those responsible for war crimes. Not only did those (military leaders? Civilian leaders? The populace?) responsible push the “undesirables” out of their homeland, but visited violence and death upon them in the camps where they resettled across the border in another country, a place of supposed peace and security.

It is my opinion that the United States should prevail upon the United Nations to try these criminals.

The 2004 Gatumba Massacre in Burundi

This story might as well be a comic strip titled “Tin tin’s Adventures in Congo” or a bad Hollywood movie.

It is sad when men, women, and children are forced to abandon their lives, their fortunes, and their loved ones to go live in a foreign land because they are no longer wanted by their countrymen.

The conflict in Congo produced gave rise to a generation of orphans with injured bodies and minds. Many are handicapped by the trauma that they saw, heard about, and endured, during a string of massacres visited on the Banyamulenge people, starting during in 1964 during the reign of the Mulele. More children were lost in a massacre at a refugee camp in Gatumba, Burundi in 2004, when the camp was attacked and there was no one to protect them.

It is true that many men, women, and children are hated in Congo because they call themselves Banyamulenge

About TUYISHIME JC

Hello, and welcome to the Banyamulenge Survivor's Blog.

My name is jean Tuyishime and I am a survivor of the 2004 massacre in the Gatumba Refugee Camp in Burundi, and a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, now living in the United States.

I already have contact with the following agencies because they helped me get out of jail when I was a prisoner in Burundi camp refugee Human Rights Watch, ONUB (the United Nations office in Burundi) and UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees).

I can inform humanitarian and public interest group about the tragedies they have taken place. The sooner we soon publish this information the sooner it can assist the humanitarian agencies working in American to assist the victims of this tragedy and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
I need to finish working on an informative book to bring immediate awareness on the situation of the Banyamulenge people in Congo and refugees residing in my camps in Burundi.

My objective is to inform the public about what has happened to the Banyamulenge people during the time of the "Mulele" in 1964 to the time of the Gatumba massacre in 2004.

I will attempt to explain why these horrible acts committed upon the Banyamulenge people of Congo, even in the refugee camps in Burundi. These violent acts against peaceful non-combattants constituted genocide, and were a clear violation of international law and the UN Convention on Human Rights.

Why have those responsible not been punished for their crimes?