Survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Jarama Sector, Ngoma District, say they remain deeply hurt that some Burundian refugees who participated in the killings were never brought to justice. ALSO READ: Talks to try Burundian Genocide suspects begin They say that, in addition to local Interahamwe militias, Burundian refugees who had settled in the camps of Sake and Nemba also took part in the massacres. However, when the genocide was stopped, many of them crossed back into Burundi and were never prosecuted. ALSO READ: Burundians pinned in Ntaganzwa trial The survivors talked about the issue, on April 9, during a commemoration event for the Tutsi killed in Jarama. They said April 9, 1994, marked one of the deadliest days in the sector, when more than 200 Tutsi were killed within hours. Attackers dumped some victims into pits, while others were thrown into the Akagera River marshes, leaving many bodies missing to this day and denying families the chance to bury their loved ones with dignity. Survivors said soldiers from the former government army, stationed at a nearby military camp, lured Tutsi civilians into gathering in one house under the pretext of protecting them. Instead, the soldiers used the gathering as an opportunity to kill them in large numbers. They added that extremist Hutu groups worked together with Burundian refugees who had fled to Rwanda years earlier and settled in Jarama. Residents say the Burundian refugees were particularly brutal because they had already witnessed violence in Burundi before fleeing to Rwanda. According to survivors, some of them taught local Interahamwe how to torture and kill the Tutsi. Beatha Mukandayisenga, a survivor from Jarama, said the Burundians had initially arrived as refugees and were housed in Sake camp. “We did not know them personally. They came into the village and moved around our homes. When the war started, they said the Tutsi in Burundi had caused them problems, and they turned against us,” she said. “They killed many people and looted property. But because we do not know their names or exactly where they came from, they have never been punished, forced to compensate victims, or jailed for the people they killed. If some of them could be identified and held accountable, it would be a good thing.” Damien Nkurunziza, another survivor, said residents in Jarama had nowhere to flee because the area is surrounded by water and marshland. “On April 7, the killings started immediately. We had nowhere to escape because Jarama is surrounded by water and swamps. Soldiers told people to gather at the market near a trader called Desideri, saying they would protect us,” he said. “But they only wanted to gather us in one place so they could kill us. On April 9, a soldier killed one person in front of the crowd, and that encouraged others to begin killing too.” Nkurunziza said Burundian refugees had first camped in Jarama before authorities moved them to Sake and Nemba. “When they heard that the genocide had started, they encouraged people in Jarama to kill. They told them how they had killed people in Burundi and showed them how to kill. They were especially brutal,” he said. Omar Biseruka, the president of Ibuka in Ngoma District, confirmed that Burundians took part in the genocide in Jarama, as they did in other parts of the country. He said the organization continues to comfort survivors who never received justice because the suspects returned to Burundi. “Not only in Jarama, but also in sectors such as Sake and Rukumberi, Burundians killed many people and committed extremely brutal acts,” Biseruka said. “When the genocide was stopped, they went back to Burundi. Information about them came up in Gacaca courts, and research is ongoing to identify them. Residents can also help by sharing information, even though it is difficult.” He emphasized that there is no time limit on prosecuting genocide crimes, which can still be pursued internationally. “Genocide has no statute of limitations. Even if the Burundian government does nothing, international courts can still prosecute them,” he said. Records indicate that more than 200 Tutsi were killed in Jarama. The bodies recovered so far have been buried at Rukumberi Genocide Memorial, the final resting place for more than 42,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
