Photo of the week-Burundi : associations demand the right to pay tribute at the Kwi Bubu memorial site

Burundian authorities continue to prevent associations defending the rights of Tutsi victims from paying tribute at the Kwi Bubu memorial site in Gitega, central Burundi. This is the site where, on October 21, 1993, more than 150 Tutsi pupils were gathered in a petrol station before being burned alive, following the assassination of the first democratically elected Hutu president, Melchior Ndadaye.

This year marks the sixth year that these associations have been refused acceds to pay tribute at this site, which is located in the hometown of President Évariste Ndayishimiye. The initial refusal dates back to 2020, when the district and provincial authorities of Gitega banned the commemoration, citing “the security of this site located on the president’s birthplace,” where he also has a residence.

In 2022, marking the third consecutive year of refusals, the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Martin Niteretse, summoned the associations concerned to try to convince them not to organize a ceremony. According to the association representatives, Niteretse never provided a written response despite their formal requests, merely verbally instructing them to go only to the monument dedicated to former President Ndadaye to lay wreaths.

In a joint statement published on Saturday, October 25, three associations—the Association of Parents of Victims of the Kwi Bubu Massacres, the Association for Reconciliation and Management of Wounded Memories (ARG), and AC Génocide Cirimoso—denounced this persistent refusal.

For Térence Mushano, Vice President and Spokesperson for AC Génocide Cirimoso :

“We will continue to ask the Head of State to authorize these tributes, as he has a duty to protect the rights of all citizens. To pay our respects at Kwi Bubu is to honor the memory of our loved ones burned alive.”

The three associations are now awaiting a response from the President of the Republic, because, as Mushano pointed out, their request was addressed to him after they had contacted several other authorities.

They deplore a policy of “double standards,” pointing out that other associations, particularly those defending Hutu victims, are authorized to organize commemorations at sites such as the University of Burundi, where a stele honors Hutu students massacred in 1995. The associations claim to have even proposed holding commemorations on October 25 to avoid any coincidence with the national commemoration of the assassination of Ndadaye and his colleagues, but this request also went unanswered.

For Tutsis, this situation illustrates the persistent difficulties in obtaining justice and recognition. Given that Burundi’s ethnic composition is similar to that of Rwanda, where the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis was recognized by the UN, Burundi struggles to agree on the terminology of past crises. While the ruling Hutus recognize the 1972 massacres as “genocide against the Hutus,” the Tutsis consider the events of 1993 to constitute “genocide against the Tutsis.” This disagreement sometimes translates into the refusal of certain bodies, such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR), to visit sites where mass graves of Tutsis have been reported.

This year again, the authorities’ refusal risks hindering the reconciliation process among Burundians, while the families of the victims simply seek to honor the memory of their loved ones massacred at Kwi Bubu.

Our photo : file photo-Two members of the AC Génocide Cirimoso association and the association of survivors of the Kibimba massacres lay a wreath at the Kwi Bubu memorial. This year, the event was refused (SOS Médias Burundi)