Burundi: Where does the genocidal ideology of Burundian Hutu extremists come from?
All those interested in the history of the sub-region agree that the exclusions and ethnic divisions came first from Belgian colonization with their “divide and rule” policy. They upset a very organized administration to exclude Hutus, not out of love for the Tutsis, but to subsequently revolt the numerically majority Hutus. They created a conflict of the “short” (Hutus) against the “long” (Tutsi) or of the “lords” against the “slaves”. The direct consequences of pitting the Hutus against the Tutsis manifested themselves in 1959 with the social revolution of Kayibanda in Rwanda, supported by the Belgian colonist. Tutsis were massacred, others went into exile in Burundi, Uganda and Zaire (now DRC).
This policy should also be exported to Burundi, but it did not find favourable ground immediately, it clashed with the policy of Burundian unity which was advocated by the leaders of the time; but extremist Hutus, supported no doubt by this colonist, have always thought of copying this Rwandan model. The ideology of exclusion, of genocide, was already brewing in their minds. They maintained him and taught him to the other Hutus.
The first attempt was launched in 1965 with the coup d’état of October 19, 1965, after the assassination of Prime Minister Pierre Ngendandumwe on January 15 of the same year, 1965. Some politicians (including Antoine Burarame, Minister of Finance) and parliamentarians (including Benyaguje, Bamina, Nyangoma Gervais), without forgetting soldiers and gendarmes (including Major Antoine Serukwavu, Secretary of State for the Gendarmerie, native of Kirundo, Lieutenant Bunanambe, of Jenda, Captain Birorero of Mugara in Rumonge) held a meeting in Gatsinda in Mwumba commune in Ngozi province. At the end of this meeting, they decided to depose King Mwambutsa, kill him and say that it is the work of the Tutsis; a pretext to exterminate the Tutsis, all over the country. That’s why the Mirerekano youth were organized and prepared to take action when the time came. It is the national radio which should announce this death so that all the people are informed.
The coup was foiled by Captain Michel Micombero, then Secretary of State for Defence, along with Captain Paul Rusiga. They were able to save King Mwambutsa and the country from this genocide. The Mirerekano youth who had been prepared to kill all Tutsi except women and girls because they hoped to marry them, have nevertheless started killing since the morning of October 20, 1965 in 3 communes of Busangana, Bukeye, Bugarama. They have systematically killed Tutsis in these communes until they disembowel pregnant women to verify that they are not carrying boys. The Bumari and Ryume families are notably eyewitnesses to these events. The Commander of the Ngozi Brigade was killed by these young Mirerekano at the place called ‘’ ku mazi y’umwami ’(royal water) as he was going down to Bujumbura. He was trying to calm them down.
Those who had prepared the coup d’état subsequently fled the country. Major Antoine Serukwavu took refuge in Rwanda where he died; Captain Birorero is said to have fled to Tanzania, where he is said to have participated in the organization of a rebel group to attack Burundi in 1972. We will come back to that.
URN Hitamwoneza has never ceased and will never cease to remind Burundians that exclusion and divisions were used by the settler to try to stay in our countries, but they are used today by leaders who seek only maintain power. It is not because a Hutu is in power that all Hutus will find everything they need to live well. Instead of spending their time thinking about the country’s development, the extremist leaders are spending their energies and taxpayer money on strategies to protect their power against political opponents. The latter are mistreated; some are killed, others imprisoned and others forced to flee the country; resources that should normally help develop the country. Let these extremist leaders think again, there will be no lasting peace for the Hutus without the Tutsis and vice versa. These extremists must be fought by everyone to make way for the unifying leaders.