Burundi: The CVR of Ndayicariye and Evariste Ndayishimiye hides a lot of truths about 1972 and seeks to further divide the Burundians.
In his presentation of the TRC’s record to both chambers, Pierre Claver Ndayicariye told them what they wanted to hear, but he hid a lot of hard facts. He seems to make people understand that the attacks by the mulelists and certain Hutus from the south were a montage by Michel Micombero, a pretext to be able to exterminate the Hutus (what they always called the genocide of the Hutus of 1972 without being qualified. as such by competent authorities)
Our investigation revealed that the operation of April 29, 1972 had been carefully prepared by a group of extremist Hutus (civilians and soldiers) and that they had even managed to deceive the vigilance of Micombero and his intelligence services, diverting his attention to an attempt to return to the monarchy that had haunted him for some time. When he discovered the reality of things, it was there that he carried out blind repression, killing many Hutus; Tutsis also perished there by settling of scores; which is regrettable. Women and children were spared. Another important fact to emphasize: no Tutsi citizen took a machete to kill his Hutu neighbour. It is the power, its army and its administration that are responsible for these killings.
We offer you this article which is a replay to show you some unavoidable facts that support our remarks. This is to shed light on public opinion at a time when Pierre Claver Ndayicariye’s speeches abound on social networks as the only truth of the matter.
In our investigation, we found that in 1972, a genocide had been carefully prepared and that the intelligence services of the power Michel Micombero did not do their job well because there is a worrying negligence in the exploitation of information which were reported on the preparations for this attack. Recall that these services regularly received information that there were rebel groups training in Tanzania, Kigoma, and Zaire (now DRC). The examples are legion:
An immigration officer working in Gisuru allegedly claimed that at the beginning of April 1972, he went down to Bujumbura to inform the National Security that there was training going on in Tanzania to attack Burundi. The information was not taken seriously.
Other reports say that a European missionary from a southern parish informed authorities that during the Easter retreats, young men and able-bodied men did not show up as usual. Worshipers told him that there were camps in Tanzania where these young people were preparing for war against Burundi.
A certain Abdul Aziz Ntahiraja, a former intelligence agent, reportedly revealed to the Iwacu newspaper that he had transmitted information in connection with the preparations for rebel attacks in southern Burundi, 6 months before April 29, 1972. He claimed to have had information through two people (Hutu); that the Hutus were preparing an attack from Kigoma, aided by the Mulelists: “I informed Jean Bikamba and Gaspard Kazohera, then respectively prosecutor and governor of Bururi. We held a meeting that was also attended by Samuel Nduwingoma, commander of the Bururi camp. The information was reportedly exploited until even the probable date of attack was known.
It was following corroborating information from several sources that the highest security officials held a working meeting on April 23, 1972 in Bururi. Anonymous witnesses say that the Minister of the Interior Albert Shibura, Minister of Information André Yanda, Chief of General Staff of the Burundian Armed Forces Thomas Ndabemeye, General Administrator of Security also participated in this meeting. and Immigration Bernard Bizindavyi and the Commander of Camp Bururi. It appears that they did not consider the matter “very serious enough”. But, they decided to launch a public awareness campaign, starting with Rumonge.
It is exactly in this locality in the south of the country that the attacks began on April 29, 1972 at around 4:00 p.m., while in Bujumbura, they were scheduled to start at 11:00 p.m.
Two very influential ministers of the Micombero government, Albert Shibura and Yanda were in Rumonge in the meetings of sensitization of the population. According to surviving witnesses, they sensed that something was going on. At the end of the day, the massacres began. All the Bururi administrators who went to Rumonge were killed, cut to pieces with a machete, on the way back. The radio team that covered the meeting was slaughtered, and the transmitting vehicle was burnt. Ministers Shibura and Yanda were only saved by going through a roundabout route. Because the road along Lake Tanganika, from the southern border with Tanzania to the gates of the capital Bujumbura was infested with men armed with machetes, clubs and a few guns. These men, associated with former Congolese mulelists, liquidated everything that was Tutsi as well as the Hutus who refused to kill; say the witnesses.
Here is the list of some victims of the Bururi administration killed by Hutu genocidaires in 1972:
- Rungarunga Domitien: 1st Provincial Secretary of the Uprona Party in Bururi
- Dr Simbiyara Cyprien: Medical Director of Bururi Hospital
- Zidona Isidore: Advisor to the Governor of Bururi
- Nindorera Joseph: District Commissioner in Bururi
- Karenzo Gaspard: President of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Bururi
- Bikamba Jean: Public prosecutor in Bururi
- Rubati: Judge in Rumonge
- Sinaniranye Adolphe: Inspector of Primary Schools in Bururi
- Baranyitondeye Pie: Director of the Primary School in Rumonge
- Barampangaje Melchiade: Deputy Commissioner and Chief Sector of Rumonge
- Kimaka Antoine: Administrator of the Commune Burambi
- Ndarusigiye Isidore: Veterinarian in Bururi
- Albert: Accounting Secretary of the Bukemba commune
- Nintije François: Commander of the Rumonge brigade
- Ruhigira Déo: Driver of the Isabu MOSO
- Ndikumuzambo Jean: Driver of Burambi commune
- Captain Mbonihankuye: in Nyanza-Lac
- Nijimbere Charles: Veterinary nurse in Bukemba
- Kivuvu Alphonse: Judge in Vyanda
- Siboniyo: Area manager in Vyanda
- Majugu Jean
- Nturama Simon
- Ndikunkiko Etienne
In Bujumbura, the killings are expected to start at 11:00 p.m. The killings were to be kicked off by national radio. It was to be occupied by the killers in advance, starting with the Emission Centre, which was across from the present NCO’s mess, next to Camp Muha. Today the place is occupied by houses from the Gasekebuye quarter. One of the plotters had been positioned on the National Radio to announce the advent of the “Republic of the Sun”, whose emblem had already been marked on the one Burundian franc coin used at the time and had been reproduced on the grids of several houses
Dance parties are scheduled to start at 10 p.m. Captain Marcien Burasekuye, chief organizer of the Bujumbura officers’ evening, invited all the Tutsi high-ranking officers and even the President of the Republic. The rebels were supposed to appear at 11 p.m. to do their grim work. These drugged men were hiding in the bush around the capital.
The people of Bujumbura were saved thanks to a mistake made by the famous Captain Burasekuye who fell asleep in the arms of a young woman in Musaga. When he woke up he thought he was late. He ran to the Officers’ Mess and found no one there. Believing the evening would already be over, he ordered those on the routes to be killed. In their distraction, they still managed to burn the cars of passers-by and kill three soldiers (including Captain Dodelin Kinyomvyi) who were returning peacefully to their camp. Other reports say that Kinyomvyi would prepare for Michel Micombero’s arrival at the Officers’ Mess. They had reached the Regina Mundi Cathedral, where the monument to the unknown soldier was erected. The order expected across the country via national radio was not transmitted. In most of the capitals, the party continued until dawn. The Tutsis amused themselves without suspecting that they had been saved from death by a providential combination of circumstances.
URNHITAMWONEZA condemn with its last energy the killings of many Hutus and Tutsis by the Micombero power in 1972 and others that followed until today through the genocide of the Tutsi of 1993 after the assassination of President Melchior Ndadaye and Hutus killed by the army trying to stop this genocide. We have always demanded that competent and independent jurisdictions be put in place to establish the various responsibilities and sanction the only culprits instead of making a shameless globalization that “the Hutus have killed Tutsis and vice versa”. We also protest against this political exploitation made by the current power and Ndayicariye of the events of 1972. The bones unearthed by Ndayicariye and his team in all the provinces are not only from 1972. Could he tell us where are the mass graves of the Tutsis killed in 1993 in Karuzi and Gitega where he has already finished his work? Most of the witnesses he uses are the same who killed these Tutsis in 1993. Let him know that sooner or later, these bones will be analysed by specialists with suitable equipment and he will be the first responsible for this lie and this denial of genocide of 1993.