Nagaju's testimony on the torture faced in DRC 1999

This interview conducted by the Shikama association.

Shikama: Where were you living before the 1998 war?

Nagaju: I was living in Likasi , in the southern part of Congo in the Shaba region.

Shikama: What’s your marriage status.

Nagaju: I am married and mother of three kids. Two were born in Congo and the third was born here in the United States.

Shikama: How long had you stayed in Likasi?

Nagaju: I had stayed in Likasi for 8 years, from 1991-1999 . I moved there from Vyura in the Shaba region where I had my wedding ceremony.

Shikama: What made you leave Likasi?

Nagaju: I left because I was forced to leave by Kabila’s government.

Shikama: Would you describe briefly what forced you and your family to leave Congo?

Nagaju: Sure, I was living in the country like every citizen. We heard on radio the news of the war, we didn’t know where it came from and didn’t know why there was fighting. It was just one year after Kabila had ousted Mobutu. Every Congolese was wondering why we should have another war within a year of the liberation of the country .I was surprised to hear that the Rwandese government had invaded DRC and that in return we, the Banyemelenge people should pay a price. It turned out that we were portrayed as the traitors. The Kabila government used the DRC military to ask us to leave the country. They demanded that we return to Rwanda.

Shikama: Why did they ask you to return to Rwanda?

Nagaju: We were asked to go back to Rwanda for a simple reason that we speak the same language and that we have the same original. The war is all about citizenship, The congolese call the banyamulenge Rwandese because of their ancestors origin but we always deny it .

Here is a brief description of what happened to me. On Thursday August,1998, I was home with my kids. Suddenly military soldiers came into my house and they asked me where my husband was. I said that I didn’t know. They started insulting me an putting a gun to my face. They said that they would kill me if I didn’t tell them where my husband was. I told them that they would have to kill me because I didn’t know. I asked they why I was was being investigated. They didn’t respond with anything specific. They said that I was Rwandese and had to be killed. They told that me that we were not people, we were snakes. They asked me why I wasn’t in Rwanda. I told them that I am a Congolese, not a Rwandese. As soon as I said that they insulted me again. Then they left.

The next day more military came and searched the house for my husband. Again, I told them that he wasn't there and that I didn’t know where he was. I asked them if they had killed him already. They searched for guns in the house but nothing was found. They asked me how long I had been living in the city and how many children I had, They asked what kind of activities I did. I told that I had been living there for eight years, that I was married and had two children. I told them we were business people.

Shikama: Did you know where your husband was hiding?

Nagaju: Yes, I did. He was hiding at my neighbor’s. There was no way to tell them where he was because they could kill him. After a little while they left. The next day a lorry full of military came to my house at 1:00 AM . I wasn’t there. They woke up my neighbor searching for me. The neighbor told them that I didn’t sleep there anymore and that I was sleeping at my friend’s house. I was in the house but my neighbor had managed to lock my door from outside. When I heard that they were torturing my neighbors I had to open and let them in. They came in . I was carrying my baby on the back. They turned off the lights and surrounded me, intimidating me with their guns on my face again, other on my chest ,and holding knives toward me. They told me that they had an order to kill me.

Shikama: Who gave them this order?

Nagaju: The Kabila government. In the meantime while I was being interrogated other soldiers were looting my house. They took all of my belongings and left me standing in the house. I couldn’t sleep until morning. My baby was two years old. She asked me if they were going to kill us? I said no. In the morning my Congolese friend came to visit me and hurried to the police to tell them what had happened during the night at my house. At around 11:00 A.M. the police came to my house and asked me what had happened. I told the police the whole story. They asked me if the soldiers had beat me - I said no.

Before they left I told them that even if we were in trouble today, I had to seek protection from the government. I asked the police who would take care of the children if the soldiers killed me. The police promised to protect me and they took me to a safe place. I spent one night there. The next night, the soldiers came there and interrogated me again. They asked me why I had moved to my neighbors? I told them that I was free to move where ever I wanted. They told me that moving during the war wasn’t allowed. I told them that they were killing young innocent people. I asked them what was the benefit of insulting me. They told me that I was Kagame’s friend. I told them that I was innocent because I didn’t know what was going on in politics. They left.

Shikama: What happened next?

Nagaju: At 11:00 PM military the Etat Major came over also. When I saw them I turned the lights off. They asked me to open the door. They forced open the window and entered into the house. They came into the bedroom. I got up with my two children. They interrogated me again. They asked again about the location of my husband. I told them that since the war started I didn’t know where he was. They told me that they would take me with them I told them that I was ready to go with the children. They asked again about why I hadn’t gone to Rwanda and I told them that I was not Rwandese. I told them my father and grandparents were all Congolese. They asked if I was taken to Rwanda what would happened to me. I told them that I would meet with injustice and there would be no spokesperson for me because I am Congolese.

They left a commander at my house. He told me that he had been to my house before but I hadn’t been there. I asked him why he was looking for me. Why only me and not others? He told me that they hadn’t been able to find my husband. He asked me if I pray? I said yes. He told me to keep praying to my God because the plan for me wasn’t good. They had wanted to take me to an unknown place and it would have been over for me. He told me to keep praying to my God because if he killed me there would not be any benefits and nobody would be there to raise my children.

There was a conflict between the police and the military about killing innocent people. For that reason he decided to stay with me and when other police came he told them that know body was in the house. He was a good man. I didn’t give him anything. He told me that he didn’t want to leave me alone because he said that I wouldn’t survive if he left me alone.

In the morning the police opened the office and I went there to ask them why I couldn’t be protected like other women. I asked them to put me in jail with the men because that would be safer for me than being free. They asked me why I wanted to go to jail with only men. I told them that it was safer than staying outside. They asked me if they could take me to my house. I told them that that was the most dangerous place. I couldn’t even spend the night there. I told that if there wasn’t any other safe place for me, I would stay there in their offices.

They told me that the reason why the military wanted my husband is because he is rich and had many farms. Also, he had many visitors without letting them know. I told the police that the military had never sexually harassed me.

I was locked in a small room at the police station and later I was brought together with all of the other Tutsi women. The police asked me whether I was a Tutsi or Hutu. I told them that I was Tutsi Banyamulenge. They asked me if there were any Banyamulenge alive with long noses? I didn’t even respond to them.

I went through a lot of interrogations, finally the policy asked us if we were taken to Rwanda how many people would volunteer to go there. All the women said no. I am sure it was the same answer that men gave to them too.

The Police had to take all the prisoners ??? from Likasi to Lubumbashi. At every road block the soldiers wanted to kill us but the police would say no.

Shikama: When did you meet your husband?

Nagaju: When the war intensified in the country, my neighbor who had been hiding him gave him to the police because they feared to be killed if he was found in their house. When we left for Lubumbashi we were together.

Shikama: Would you describe your life in Jail

Nagaju: Yes, I was pregnant when we were arrested . By the time we were transferred from Likasi to Lubumbashi I was almost ready to have a birth. When I asked doctors to assist me at the time I was going to have a birth they refused. They said that they couldn’t help me that the didn’t care about my health or my baby. The baby died.

From December 1998 until.....??? we suffered a lot. We had to cook meals with fresh grass. We didn’t have any charcoal. We had to spend 8 hours to cook one meal .We were sharing one birth room, and sleeping in one room with more than one hundred people.

Men and women were separated and we were not allowed to visit our husbands. After the Human Rights Commission came to visit us some things improved. We were free to visit our husbands once a week on Saturday for 30 min. We were allowed to go outside for ....? and return by 4 pm. We were given some mattress and we had access to different food, a long visit to our husband. In the meantime they were working on our papers seeking countries that could take us as refugees. We were allowed to do some interviews seeking asylum outside. Nobody could imagine that idea.

In brief, these are some of the circumstances I faced during the two year war. From the house to America via the jail.

• There is no life in jail.
• Kabila was brought to power by the Banyamulenge but turned out to be our enemy.
• I was touched by all the young and other innocent who were killed.
• I wasn’t an eye witness of any person being killed but I knew many people who disappeared and didn’t return.
• I was so shocked to be jailed with my two little kids. Today, every time my little kid sees a police she asks me if they are coming to arrest her. Even when she watches commercials or any shouting movie she hides. She is traumatized.
• I was shocked when doctors didn’t want to help me.

I thank the American government which came to our rescue. Today, I live in America with my husband and three kids. We got our third here in America.

In everything that happen to us I thank God for his protection even if some other people lost there love ones . I want the world to share this testimony and try to rescue other people who are still in bondage and are still hostages of this unfair war and expulsion.