Burundi: Belgium has a great historical responsibility in the killings and genocides in the region of the great lakes (Fourth part).
As promised, today we are starting part of our process with the birth of political parties in Burundi, the accession to independence and particularly the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasaore, while trying to show the implication or Belgium’s responsibility in this murder.
But before getting to the heart of the matter, we would like to correct an error that slipped into our edition of yesterday: in 1960, the Usumbura-Astrida, Usumbura-Bukavu, Usumbura-Gitega roads were not all asphalted. Our sources tell us that only the sections: Usumbura-Bugarama; Usumbura city roundabout (near the current Independence Square) -Camp muha; Usumbura city roundabout town- Chez Dimitri- Chez André-monument of unity; Usumbura city roundabout – airport, were asphalted. Here it should be understood that it was not for the sake of the development of the country, but for the ease of movement for the own interests of colonial administration.
Let us return to the birth of political parties. Their creation dates from 1958, historians tell us. In 1960, they would already number 23. But the best known were the UPRONA (Union for National Progress) of Rwagasore, the PDC (Christian Democratic Party), founded by Joseph Birori, a prince Mutare, son of Pierre Baranyanka, the PP (People’s Party) of which one of the great promoters was the colonist Albert Maus whose main concern was the emancipation of the Hutus; one party was more or less the equivalent of PARMEHUTU in Ruanda. Maus who committed suicide after the victory of Uprona (Maus Castle) and the PDR (Rural Democratic Party) of Pierre Bigayimpunzi.
Apart from Uprona and its leader Louis Rwagasore, a rallying party which advocated the unity of all Burundians and which demanded immediate independence and the departure of the colonizers, no other wanted immediate independence, some even had an ethnic tendency. . The latter were supported by colonization, while Rwagasore had the sympathy of the nationalists of the Congo, Rwanda and Tanganyika.
In the municipal elections of December 1960, 12 political parties, including the P.D.C, the P.D.R and the P.P., formed a Common Front against the UPRONA which wanted immediate independence. The colonial power thus blocked the Uprona campaign because it feared the popularity of Rwagasore. He was subsequently imprisoned in Bururi. This resulted in the defeat of the Uprona. But, they have multiplied complaints against the irregularity of these elections until the UN General Assembly takes up the issue and delays the legislative elections. Uprona will be the winner with 58 seats out of 64
After these legislative elections of September 18, 1961, Burundi became a constitutional monarchy headed by Mwami Mwambutsa, with a fundamental law which was inspired by the Belgian constitution. Prince Louis Rwagasore was appointed Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Burundi. He was invited by his father to form the Government.
Very unfortunately, Burundi will lose a charismatic leader on October 13, 1961; the country’s independence was granted on July 1, 1962 in a very unhealthy context. Rwagasore’s unitary ideology was a formidable weapon to counter the Rwandan political “system” where extremist Hutu had just taken power after a consummate genocide of the Tutsi after their famous 1959 revolution.
Who assassinated Prince Louis Rwagasore? It was the Greek Kageorgis who pulled the trigger, but he is not the planner. It is said that he had benefited from the complicity of Joseph Birori and Jean Ntidendereza who were hanged in Gitega.
URN HITAMWONEZA has no doubts for a moment that the Belgian administration of the day was directly or indirectly involved in the planning of the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore. According to our sources, Kageorgis even asked to explain himself, but he was not so lucky. In plenary, before the Belgian prosecutor who sentenced him to death, he reportedly declared that he had carried out a mission from Belgium. He even wrote a letter to his family in which he denounced this injustice and asked for further investigations into his case. Perhaps this document can shed more light on public opinion. According to Guy Poppe, who searched the archives of the Belgian foreign ministry, he said he was struck by the shortcomings observed in the judicial investigation. For him, there were avenues to explore, which was not done. He proposes a parliamentary inquiry to find out the truth. To RFI, Ludo de Witt, a Belgian historian who consulted the archives of the British Embassy, clearly stated that documents found reveal Belgian involvement. Brussels has reportedly given the green light to get rid of this “troublemaker who is a staunch defender of independence”, he adds.
We say that it is regrettable that the powers which succeeded one another in Burundi did not manage to impose a serious investigation on Belgium in order to shed light on the responsibilities of each other.
To tell the truth, Belgium had no interest in seeing strong power with the unitary and social development ideas of the leader like Rwagasore after independence. He wanted a power like that of Rwanda, based on the principles of ethnic division as he had introduced in our two countries (besides the colonial administration supported parties with this tendency)
We recognize that there is always continuity of the State, but we also know that the Belgian government of today is not that of 1960. We ask this government to come out of its silence and clearly promise open and independent investigations to shed full light on this matter as long as witnesses still exist. If he continues to remain silent, we will continue to shout for the light because he would be complicit and therefore will answer for all the damage caused by the Belgian administration in Burundi.
To all Burundians, we ask you to join us in demanding, by peaceful means, that Belgium tell us who planned the assassination of our Prince. That the current Government of Burundi stop always insulting the settlers without valid reason instead of putting together a file in good and due from asking that the international community engages to require in this country independent investigations which can enlighten us on, not only the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore, but also on Belgium’s responsibilities in the socio-political chicaneries which followed Belgian colonization.