The Mahoro Peace Association (MPA) was created in 2004. In the same year, members of the Banyamulenge, an ethnic minority group of the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), were victims of one of the most heinous massacres known as the Gatumba massacre, in which more than 160 people were killed in a matter of two hours, in a UN-run refugee camp in Burundi. The DRC has gone through an unending civil war and turmoil for more than almost three decades now.
The more-than-two-decades-long war has been argued to be the second most deadly conflict of the 20th century, second only after World War II. The war has destroyed social cohesion and economic backbone, turning ethnic groups against each other. The MPA believes that lasting peace can only be achieved when all citizens are given equal protection under the law and equal opportunities as well as the freedom to exercise their rights without discrimination.
Therefore, the MPA strives to promote peace and socio-economic development in the DRC. DRC’s cultural and linguistic diversity should be viewed as a source of richness rather than a basis for marginalization or discrimination. MPA’s activities respond to the need of supporting people whose lives were affected by conflicts; it contributes to the rebuilding process of sustainable peace and aims at strengthening the social fabric and peaceful cohabitation.