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.
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
5 comments:
je suis très contant de voir ta Maman en bonne santé, je lu cette histoire et j'ai retournéles pensés vers Kalemie là où nous étions ensemble à la veille de ce triste acte. que nous avons été victimes.
la vie continue Dieu merçi.
Cher Jean claude, je te connais pas, mais tu es un brave garcon, j` suis une soeur a toi, je veux dire munyamulenge mais pas une rescapee, ton exemple est a suivre, pourquoi nous ne nous exprimons pas?? est- ce une timidite?? beaucoup des gens ont des temoignages a ecrire, a raconter aux medias, mais nous gardons silence, comme si notre droit tombera du ciel, il s`arrache vous le savez??? comment le monde exterieur saura qu`il y a un peuple dans un coin du monde qui s`appelle banyamulenge qui vive l`oppression depuis des siecles injustement et qui a droit a la vie??? a nous la balle. Que Dieu benisse mulenge.
Gakeye mwese abakunzi biyi mbuga?nje ndu Munyamulenge nkunze kureba cne izinkuru zakarengane kakorewe Inzirakarengane,harimo Ababyeyi,abana na bavandimwe bacu.birababaje iyo tureba tukabona abantu bakoroze kandi bakomeje gukora ayo marorerwa.bakaba,bidegebya bagasa nkaho bakoze ibintu byiza byiterambere.Nkaba ngira nti nimuhaguruke abafite kugera kure ndavuga aho bashobora kuvuga bakunva akarengane kagikomeje gukorerwa abanyamurenge.ugasanga kuba umunyamurenge bimaze kuba Nkicyaha birababaje.Ikindi mugomba kumenya ko nta abandi bantu bazagaragaza ako karengane twe,ubwacu tudafashe iyambere go tukagaragarize amahanga kuko dufite uburyo bwishyi dushobora gukoresha.nkaba nakongera kubwira ababuze ababo kwihangana nubwo abantu batatwunva ariko Imana igihe kizagera bahozwe na Nyagasani.'Iyo ntashaka nta bumwe'ni Gb
muraho abiwacu
Muraho Abiwachu nari mbakumbuye cyane doreko hari hashize ,n;igihe tutaramukanya nabenshi mubakunzi biwachu
nukuri si ubu ryarya bwa bapagani ndabakunda mwese
yemw weeeeeee muracyahibuka ?
muzibagirwqe byose ndetse n,amazinayany nibisekuruzabyanyu ariko ntimukibagiwe iwacu
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ntabyinshi mbabwira kuriyo nzababwira tumaze kuyiyoboka
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kuko ntabandi dusangiye ibibazo habe nabake kwisi hoze .
ubushize muririya nama yabereye ibukavu hari byinshi byavuzwemo
gusa nibi nibyavuzwe mo
uruhare rwawe suko uba icyo udashoboye, ahubwo ,nuko ukora icyo ushoboye
ikimeze nk,iki
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imana yomwijuru ibafashye
kandi ibibasobanurire cyane kurusha uku mbibabwiye
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