Tomorrow marks the 21st anniversary of the Gatumba Genocide, a night of unimaginable horror in 2004 when armed attackers stormed a refugee camp in western Burundi, killing more than 150 people, most of them women and children from the Banyamulenge community.
In the early hours of August 13, 2004, the attackers claimed by the National Forces of Liberation (FNL) and reportedly supported by other armed groups from the Democratic Republic of Congo set fire to tents and opened fire on sleeping families. Survivors recall the chaos, smoke, and gunfire that turned a safe haven for refugees into a killing ground.
The United Nations and international human rights groups condemned the killings as a targeted, ethnically motivated massacre. Yet, more than two decades later, no one has been held accountable in any court of law.
“We have been living with the pain for 21 years, but justice has not come,” said one survivor speaking at this year’s commemoration. “Our children’s lives were cut short, and their blood cries out for justice.”
This year’s memorial, will take place both in Gatumba and in diaspora communities worldwide, includes prayer vigils, candlelight ceremonies, and speeches from survivors and human rights advocates. Organizers say the focus is not only on remembering the victims, but also on renewing calls for accountability and recognition from governments and international bodies.
Human Rights Watch, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and survivor networks have repeatedly urged Burundi, the DRC, and the ICC to act. In 2024, fresh legal complaints were filed in multiple jurisdictions, citing crimes against humanity and genocide. However, proceedings remain at an early stage.
The massacre has left deep scars on the Banyamulenge people, who continue to face persecution and displacement in parts of the Great Lakes region.
“Remembering Gatumba is not about the past it is a call to prevent such atrocities from ever happening again,” said a community leader at the Kigali memorial service.
As the world reflects on Gatumba’s legacy, survivors and advocates say the question remains: How long will justice wait?
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