Thousands of Congolese refugees in Rwandan camps on Monday, March 4, organised a peaceful march in protest of killings of Tutsi, Banyamulenge and Hema communities in eastern DR Congo. The New Times reports
Refugees in Karongi District, in Western Province marched around Kiziba Camp carrying placards that accused the Congolese government and armed groups like FDLR, Mai Mai, Nyatura and CODECO of committing genocide.
They called on the international community to take action and “stop genocide” that is also supported by Burundian forces and troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), who are fighting alongside a government-led coalition against the M23 rebels in North Kivu province.
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Rwanda hosts over 100,000 Congolese refugees, some of whom have spent nearly 30 years in camps. Over 13,000 have fled the conflict between the government coalition and the M23 rebels.
“We condemn the genocide being committed against Tusti in North Kivu, Banyamulenge in South Kivu and Hema in Ituri,” said John Nsengiyera, one of the refugees.
“It is being perpetrated by the government of President Felix Tshisekedi, and FDLR, Mai Mai, CODECO and their enablers SADC and Burundi forces,” he said.
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Alliance Niyonsaba’s parents fled to Rwanda when she was one year old. The 29-year-old teacher at a camp-based school said the security situation in North Kivu gave her no hope she and her children could go home any time soon.
“Children are being killed; women are raped all because they are Tutsi, Hema or Banyamulenge. All these countries supporting Tshisekedi to kill us, SADC, Burundi, must stop now,” said Niyonsaba.
“It is very shocking to grow up as a refugee, attend school in a refugee camp, I got married in a camp, and my kids were born here. My grandchildren might also be born in exile, and yet we have a country,” she said.
“We want the Congolese leaders to use our country’s resources to repatriate us instead of continuing to kill us. We call on the international community to act now and stop this genocide. We want to go back home.”
The group, which was founded by remnants of Interahamwe and the former Rwandan army, has spread an anti-Tutsi ideology in eastern DR Congo and helped to create new militias.
“If the Interahamwe were chased out of Congo, our country could have peace,” said Kanyabushari Musuhuke, a native of Masisi, North Kivu, who fled to Rwanda in 1996.
“I used to have cattle and my children wouldn’t want milk, but all the cows were eaten. We lived in peace with our neighbours until Interahamwe came and forced us to flee,” said the 75-year-old. “Would I be happy after all these years in a refugee camp? These killers must be stopped.”
Eastern DR Congo has been volatile for nearly 30 years.
The provinces of South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri are home to more than 130 armed groups that are accused of atrocities and human rights violations.
