Rutaremara on how Burundi shielded genocide suspects

Burundi’s failure to bring those responsible for the 2004 Gatumba massacre to justice should be viewed against its past refusal to act on Burundian genocide suspects who fled Rwanda, Tito Rutaremara has said. Rutaremara, a veteran politician and Chairperson of the Rwanda Elders Advisory Forum (REAF), made the remarks on Thursday, August 13, while addressing the Banyamulenge community gathered in Kigali to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the massacre and honour its victims. ALSO READ: Belgian lawyer on why genocide ideology doesn’t dissolve three decades after dispersion of genocidaires On August 13, 2004, armed attackers raided a UNHCR refugee camp in Gatumba, western Burundi, where Congolese refugees had sought safety from violence in South Kivu. The attack killed 166 Banyamulenge refugees, mostly women and children, and injured 108 others. ALSO READ: What hope remains for Banyamulenge pursuing justice for Gatumba victims? The victims were targeted because of their ethnic identity, according to an investigation by UN. The investigation identified PALIPEHUTU-FNL, FDLR, elements of FARDC and Mai-Mai militias among those responsible, while PALIPEHUTU-FNL leaders openly claimed responsibility in the media. Twenty-two years later, no trial has been held over the massacre, leaving survivors and relatives of the victims continuing to demand justice. ALSO READ: How Burundian troops in South Kivu sparked a distinct humanitarian crisis amid DR Congo’s wider war Rutaremara said Rwanda’s experience with Burundi demonstrates clearly why the Banyamulenge have yet to get justice from the Burundian government. He noted that Burundi had refused to try or send to Rwanda Burundians who participated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed the lives of more than one million lives. Rutaremara said Burundians who were in Rwanda during the genocide also participated in killings in different part of the country before fleeing back to Burundi. ALSO READ: Talks to try Burundian Genocide suspects begin He said Rwanda later provided the Burundian government with lists of names of hundreds of suspects and sought their prosecution, but those efforts did not succeed. ALSO READ: Ngoma: Survivors still haunted by Burundian genocide suspects who escaped justice “You wonder when you will get justice for Gatumba massacre. Those Burundians committed genocide here in Rwanda, they killed people in Gatsibo, Bugesera, in the Southern Province, as well as here in Kigali, but we were denied justice,” Rutaremara said. “We gave the Burundian government names, they are in their hundreds, we tried to make arrangements with the government but they denied, and we are still waiting for justice.” Rutaremara said politics also stood in the way of accountability, particularly where pursuing suspects could implicate senior Burundian leaders. ALSO READ: IBUKA wants Burundian Genocide suspects prosecuted ‘Justice will only be served by the Banyamulenge’ The appeal call for justice for Gatumba victims was made as Burundi has troops in eastern DR Congo, where they support the Congolese armed forces in a war that has targeted Banyamulenge community. Rutaremara said the Banyamulenge should not rely entirely on the international community or neighbouring countries to seek justice for the victims of Gatumba. He drew parallels with Rwanda’s own history, arguing that atrocities against Tutsi had been committed for decades before 1994 without receiving adequate international recognition or intervention. “For the Gencode against the Tutsi to be recognised as genocide, it is because the RPA Inkotanyi worn the liberation struggle. Had they lost the battle, the Genocide against the Tutsi would have never been recognized or talked about anywhere,” Rutaremara said. He urged the Banyamulenge to take an active role in defending their community, preserving their history and pursuing justice for those killed. “Justice for the Banyamulenge persecuted over the years can only be served by the Banyamulenge community themselves. If you win the battle, then you can honour your lost people and pursue justice. It is you who will provide justice for your community.” ALSO READ: AFC/M23 leader Corneille Nangaa states four reasons why his movement is fighting Tshisekedi govt Rutaremara also recalled the international community’s failure to intervene during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, providing the example of the United Nations Security Council which challenged the call for help from their peacekeepers who were in Rwanda and did not act in time to protect those facing extermination. “Stand up and fight for your motherland, put good governance in place and then ensure your history is recognised. Your history is not any different from that of Rwanda.” ALSO READ: Analysts: Burundi's role in DR Congo conflict taints Ndayishimiye's tenure at AU He said Rwanda’s post-Genocide experience demonstrated that survivors and affected communities also had to push for mechanisms capable of delivering justice. “If Rwanda did not opt for mechanisms such as Gacaca courts, which tried two million cases, the international community may not have arrested anyone. They learned from Rwanda as we started to stretch the justice hand to them. The perpetrators would have walked free around the world.” “Justice was when RPA put Gacaca in place and adjudicated cases involving more two million people who had committed genocide. If you are waiting for justice from Burundi, we are also waiting for justice.” ALSO READ: Banyamulenge take Burundi govt to court over abuses in Minembwe Rutaremara also spoke about the origins of genocide ideology in the Great Lakes region, saying colonial rule introduced divisions that were later exploited by political leaders for their own interests. He called on young people to take responsibility for challenging genocide ideology and preventing it from continuing to fuel violence and persecution in the region.

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Rutaremara on how Burundi shielded genocide suspects