Burundi: The attacks of Red Tabara constitute a good pretext for the military clique in power to complete the genocide in progress in Burundi.
Since August 23, 2020, a group of armed men have landed on Lake Tanganyika from the DR Congo and would have infiltrated by Bugarama and Muhuta in Rumonge province. 12 people are said to be killed by the same group which had taken them as carriers of goods looted from shops and stores. In a statement, Red Tabara claimed to be in action in this locality.
On August 29, 2020, 02 people were killed in Mukike, 2 others were reportedly seriously injured and taken to hospital. The same group appeared in the provinces of Muramvya, Mwaro, Bururi and Makamba. Law enforcement and the imbonerakure militia pursued him but failed to neutralize him. Authorities silenced this group. However, the police and the intelligence services took the opportunity to arrest young Tutsi students on vacation, retired Tutsi soldiers and influential members of the CNL in Rumonge, Mwaro, Muramvya, Bururi provinces, especially in Mugamba communes, Rusaka, Mukike, Burambi, Vyanda, Bururi. More than 50 people are said to be arrested at the moment.
Another group allegedly infiltrated Musigati on August 29, 2020 in Bubanza province. It would also have come from neighbouring DR Congo. He was pursued by imbonerakure and allegedly managed to enter the Kibira. He is believed to be responsible for the attacks carried out in Kayanza province in the communes of Muruta and Matongo near the Kibira natural forest from the beginning of September 2020.
Public opinion was not convinced by the Red Tabara press release because with modern technology you can imitate an organization’s emblem and signature and write anything you want. There was the possibility of thinking of an assembly of the power of Evariste Ndayishimiye who would have formed a group of imbonerakure and interahamwe to simulate an attack and take advantage of it to kill, imprison as many Tutsis and CNL political opponents as possible. Another possible scenario was that Red Tabara effectively carried out the attack in collaboration with the authorities in place to allow him to settle accounts with the Tutsis and the opposition and subsequently to start negotiations on the modalities of integrating the forces of the order for the combatants and the return and reintegration for non-combatant civilians, starting with their leader Alexis Sinduhije.
Red Tabara wanted to remove all ambiguities by organizing communications from September 16, 2020 with two spokespersons, one in the national language and the other in other languages. However, many dark areas persist. Patrick Nahimana did not seem convincing in his responses to journalists; Opinion remains with unanswered questions.
Jean Niyonkuru, journalist Urnhitamwoneza, contacted Patrick Nahimana on September 17, 2020 to shed light on a lot of interesting questions. The spokesperson categorically denies having any relation with the power of Gitega that Red Tabara is fighting to liberate Burundi and the Burundians. According to him, their targets are only the military, the police and the imbonerakure. This is not convincing either, because we know that all rebellions are fuelled by the population and it is not always the case that they always voluntarily donate their property. By looting shops and pharmacies, we attack the owners. To overcome this constraint, Red Tabara would have to attack military camps or major positions. However, his current strength does not measure up to such heavy attacks. Continuing to carry out small attacks weakens the group, which risks disappearing if it does not really benefit from complicity with power. This is also the opinion of Thierry Vircoulon, coordinator of the Observatory of Southern and Central Africa at the French Institute of International Relations, who believes that this movement exists but who minimizes its capacity to cause harm
Red Tabara declares that he wants to fight the power of Gitega; it does not exclude the way of negotiations either but under certain conditions according to Justine Ntwari, one of the spokespersons of the movement. These include, according to her, the disarmament of the imbonerakure militia, the unconditional release of political prisoners, security for all, etc. Here the unanswered questions persist: power is not found in Nyarumanga’s position. Matongo in Kayanza, no longer in Gisagazuba in Burambi. The military clique in power continues to drink its Heineken, and sleep peacefully with their wives. The family of the small corporal killed will suffer all the life especially since he too lived in very bad conditions. There is no indication that he agrees with the way the country is run; but having no other choice, he is forced to stay with this army which barely manages to pay him monthly pay and waits for the chance to go on mission abroad in Somalia or the Central African Republic.
The world has changed; the guerrillas of 20 years ago are not carried out in the same way as they are today in Burundi; strategies change over time and circumstances. Attacking power requires a great strike force that destabilizes it; which could facilitate the rallying of the regular forces to the cause of the rebel forces. Otherwise, small sporadic attacks only strengthen the position of power, which takes advantage of it to mercilessly hunt down anyone who does not agree to submit to their demands. This is also the opinion of Teddy Mazina, photojournalist, who is worried about the arrests and searches which, according to him, more than 70 people have been arrested in just two weeks. We do not even know where some are imprisoned; enforced disappearances, torture and summary executions are possible, he believes. To the question of knowing whether wanting to liberate the country and its people does not risk producing contrary effects and on the other hand causing large-scale killings until the genocide, Patrick Nahimana did not want to give an answer to our journalist Jean Niyonkuru
URN HITAMWONEZA supports any force that would like to fight and rout the military power of Gitega which is committing genocide slowly and which plans to complete it in a short time; but fiercely opposes any strategy that would endanger the lives of innocent populations. It is necessary to be able to attack directly these great people who exploit the lower people for their interests and to spare the life of the small peasant, soldier or police officer who is often taken hostage. To the latter, we also advise to brave fear and stand up together, without exclusions, and say no to these leaders who manipulate you for their interests. Their children study in better schools in Europe and America, ours sit on the floor, without desks in schools without windows, like at Ecofo Kabuyenge in Ruyigi, exposed to all kinds of weather. We must unite to fight for the equitable sharing of state property.
