Burundi: Insecurity in Mugongomanga: who are the perpetrators?
Terrorist attacks are starting to increase in Mugongomanga commune in rural Bujumbura province. The most recent date is July 31, 2020 on Kabuye hill in the Kankima zone in Mugongomanga commune. According to witnesses on the spot, the toll is 4 houses burned and 08 goats killed, charred. On the night of July 28, 2020, a similar attack took place in the same locality causing 03 houses to burn.
The power of Gitega never ceases to boast of guaranteed security throughout the territory. Maybe having it is a fact, saving it is another story. But, here many questions arise: Who are the authors of these attacks? For what purpose? Why are these attacks directed at Mugongomanga commune? Where do criminals hide after attack?
We used to see the national army and the imbonerakure militia mobilizing to deploy all possible and unimaginable means when there is a simple passage of what they call rebel groups, even if they do not commit any crime. The cases of Bubanza in the commune of Musigati and rural Bujumbura are eloquent.
Bubanza has become a passageway for rebel groups coming from DRCongo and heading towards Kibira. There, our investigations revealed that most of the cases were FDRL-Interahamwe. Every time they crossed, the Burundi National Defence Force was alerted. This is how she said she was pursuing, in collaboration with the imbonerakure, rebel groups from the Congo; while it was a sham operation. The next day, no operations to track down these infiltrators were to be heard continuing. This justified the national army not being concerned by these elements. Their positions coexist until today. These FDRLs sometimes receive logistics from the Burundi national defence force. Tin cans seized from an FDRL fighter captured in the June 27, 2020 attack in southern Rwanda are proof of this.
In rural Bujumbura, a similar attack was simulated on February 19, 2020. A group claiming to belong to the fnl burst into Kirombwe in broad daylight. In two days, we saw on social networks corpses scattered on the hills; these people were killed tied up by the imbonerakure. Police said the group was completely devastated.
Today, groups of people are organizing to attack households in Mugongomanga, houses are set on fire, goats are charred there, and no one says a word. Meanwhile, President Ndayishimiye Evariste was carrying cans of local drink and eating roommates and sweet potatoes at his home in Gitega, his home province. In Burundian culture, when a head of the family went to greet his friend with things to offer him (drinks, various harvests), he looked for porters and he, with his spear and his hat (like the one that General Neva wore during the feast of the communes), walked behind them. What we observe in the case of Ndayishimiye is the reverse. He knows he stole the victory in the recent election, he forgets what he is now. Looks like its humility. Others will say that it is more hypocrisy: to be very close to the lower classes; share with them. This is how we seek votes for the next elections. Good strategy!! What about the Corona Virus? Has he completely disappeared from Burundi? When we saw President Ndayishimiye share sorghum and banana beer with the people with one or two torches, will he say tomorrow that we must prevent ourselves against the corona virus? The Burundian people need leaders who are consistent in their words and actions.
Let’s come back to our subject. Who would have attacked these Mugongomanga households since there was no reaction from the authorities? Several hypotheses are possible until public opinion has shed light on what really happened. If the imbonerakure did not pursue and apprehend the evildoers while they are on all the hills, the first suspicion would be some of them. And it would probably be punitive actions for those who did not elect the cnddfdd in this commune, many of whose inhabitants are members of the CNL or UPRONA.
Another possible hypothesis would be based on a land conflict between families or revenge linked to other various conflicts. Since this is in an area not dedicated to the cause of cnddfdd, whether they are killing each other or not, it is not an emergency for them. Poor conception of state management! But there, too, he could intervene to apprehend people for imprisonment and extract money from them.
URN HITAMWONEZA finds there a total absence of authority or an unwillingness of the power to help those who are not members of the cnddfdd because if people dare to burn 4 houses and they take it easy, it is as if they could kill people with total impunity. Where is this security that the government sings about all day long? Instead of playing clever, this government should rather resign so that the people are led by leaders who have the will and the capacity to bring together all Burundians without exception under the same vision of peace and development.