Justice for victims of 21st October 1993 Kibimba School Tutsi Genocide

It was summer 1993, Willy was getting ready to leave Bujumbura for his boarding school, at Kibimba School. Willy was a Teenager who made everyone laugh, his sense of humour could gather all our neighbours. Willy enjoyed sport, he enjoyed music and socialising. Willy was a Burundian Tutsi, his Father was an Army high ranking officer. I remember well his last words:”Come on, I will be back soon, I will save up my pocket money so that when I am back to Bujumbura, we can all have fun, I am not going there forever.” We nicknamed Willy “le gros”, French word for “the Huge Guy”.

20-21st October 1993, a military coup took the life of the First democratically elected President of Burundi, H.E Melchior Ndadaye, a Hutu, half of his cabinet were assassinated, President of Parliament was assassinated, Vice-President of Parliament was assassinated (a Tutsi).In villages of Burundi, Hutu locals saw this as a Tutsi plot to refuse Hutu from leading Burundi. Hutu civilians killed Tutsi all over the Country; among the victims was Willy at his school Kibimba.

At the same school, my Dad’s Sister survived lying under bodies of other Pupils butchered, I asked her about our Neighbour and Friend Willy, she said that he was the first to be collected by the Headmaster of the school and Hutu locals, Willy was reduced in pieces by machetes attacks, his sin was that his Father was a Tutsi Military officer. I heard that there was vengeance for Tutsi killed in villages. For decades, Burundi was engulfed in ethnic killings, opposing the two main tribes: Hutu and Tutsi.

The assassination of a Hutu President of Burundi cost a lot of lives among Tutsi, each side (Hutu,Tutsi) were quickly radicalised, both tribes did not trust each other, up to the time when I left Burundi to exile, there was deep ethnic division. Those who incited hatred, violence and often acts of genocide, have since been imposed as Leaders of Burundi, each side (Hutu,Tutsi) still refuse to pay tribute together as Burundians, each side wants to commemorate on ethnic lines, Hutu on one side, Tutsi on the other side.

From 1965, Burundians have experienced violence that most People would find it hard to cope with, the Nation still has not recovered due to the culture of impunity, a wrong approach in the peace process which suggested that individuals responsible for serious crimes be included in the power sharing agreement (between Hutu and Tutsi).

Because of these circumstances, a number of Burundians decided to stay abroad, they are particularly concerned about the culture of impunity which orphaned many on both sides (Hutu,Tutsi). Burundi will be free from hate and division when all of these facts are acknowledged, and most importantly that the rule of Law is respected, taught at all levels of society, that reconciliation is not imposed but rather a path taken by Burundians themselves, lessons should be taught to a Younger generation that they learn from past history mistakes, it should be taught that no one was justified to take someone's life, ushering in a new generation whose goal will be to rebuild Burundi together.

יוסף
Editor
Against Genocide in the African Great Lakes