Peace building

MPA commends community elders of Rurambo for organizing regular inter-community talks between Banyamulenge, Bafulero and Banyindu communities. community unity is of outmost importance for peaceful cohabitation especially at time when foreign Burundi militias (Red Tabara, FOREBU & FLN) invaded Rurambo and other High Plateau of Uvira, Fizi and Mwemnga areas.

Community talks are spearheaded by selected Pastors, seniors citizens and key community decision makers. Thier job is to evaluate needs, reinforce prophylactic mechanisms and commitment to strive together to maintain relative peace despite threats and influences from divisive militias. As a reminder; on April 9th, 2020 Red Tabara attacked Bijojo Village of Rurambo in South Kivu Province/ DR Congo. Two young men lost their lives; one of them was from Banyamulenge tribe (Boazi Nkundiye), the other was Bafulero tribe (Seraza). Two Banyamulenge were also seriously wounded in the fighting.

For the last three years Red Tabara (Burundian armed rebel group) in conjunction with its Burundian allies (FOREBU and FLN) and local mai mai militias have been operating in the high plateau of Uvira, Fizi and Mwenge districts of South Kivu Province / DR Congo since 2016. These militias are known for their brutal killing, destruction and looting committed mainly against members of the Banyamulenge community. They have killed several hundred Banyamulenge people; they also wiped out 200 villages and looted more than 125,000 cattle in different villages of the high plateau of Uvira, Fizi and Mwenga.

Burundians self-proclaimed liberation movements whose mission was to overthrow the current Burundi regime using forceful means turned out to be nothing less than killing and racketeering warlords clubs fervently engaged in Banyamulenge ethnic cleansing.

Kudos to Rurambo communities, they stand together to say no to trouble makers. They refuse to settle for divisive community ideology, they refused to be puppets of political manipulation they chose to unite for peace sake.