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Bijombo, May 18,2000
Banyamulenge’s MemoTo His Excellency the Prime Minister and Head of the Government at Kinshasa Gombe Re: File Banyamulenge, Informational Report for the Government Your Excellency, We have the distinct honor of addressing your august authority in order to bring to you these illuminating facts concerning the Banyamulenge. Mr. Prime Minister, many untrue things have been said lately concerning us. We believe that it is our duty to inform you in all truth and frankness with proof at hand concerning who we are. We have the firm conviction, knowing your sense of justice , your analytical objectivity, as well as your moral integrity, that the information that you are receiving comes to you from persons knowing the truth and who twist the truth for unacknowledged motives. Effectively, in a report of the Council of Ministers reacting to the report presented by Mr. Roberto Garreton, Reporting Official of the United Nations, on the condition of human rights in Zaire the argument was made that the Banyamulenge are immigrants. In Geneva, where he went to represent our country, Zaire, the Minister of Institutional Reforms, of the Ministry of Justice and Office of the Attorney General, in his speech to the 52nd session of the Commission noted above, reiterated this position of the Government that had mandated it. What a grave and prejudicial error, full of consequences for these poor peasants, 99% farmers, to support the notion that they are immigrants. Mr. Prime Minister, as you are going to realize, the Banyamulenge are native Zaireans. Who are the Banyamulenge? Could you perhaps ask yourself this question, Mr. Prime Minister? The Banyamulenge are a Zairean tribe whose members are located in the Regions of South Kivu (on the high Mountain of the Zones of Fizi, Uvira and Mwenga) and Shaba (in the Zones of Moba and Kalemie). They consist primarily of Tutsis and the descendants of slaves purchased from the Tetela mutineers from the Dhanis expedition in 18898 and are estimated to number approximately 400,000 souls. The period of their establishment on national territory has been the object of scientific investigation by eminent researchers, including G. Weis (1), 3. Hiernaux (2), J.J. Maquet (3), and Depelchin (4). The period of establishment is placed, according to these different researchers, between the 17th century and the beginning of the 19th century. As for the name “Banyamulenge”, let us note that of all the authors noted only Depelchin used the term. C. Weis used the term Rwandan. 3.3. Maquet used the term During each election, these sleazy politicians feed and inflame tribal hatred. The promise has always been to turn the Banyamulenge into foreigners, to plunder their property, and to expel them from the country. As today they have become quite unpopular in their jurisdictions, especially in the jurisdiction of the Honorable Anzuluni Bembe (yesterday the elected official and ally of the Banyamulenge), they realize that we will no longer take their promises. Strong in the positions that they occupy in different public organizations and services, they have decided to try to accomplish their promises in order to attract to them the tribal electorate, while also dragging, for purposes of cover, the State into this macabre project. The similarities between the documents prepared by the local authorities and those prepared by the sleazy politicians of Kinshasa prove that a well thought-out plan exists and that it is in its execution phase. The Commissioner the Uvira zone , Mr. Shweka Mutabazi II (Rwandan subject of the Hutu tribe), in furtherance of the Resolution Concerning Nationality of the High Council of the Republic-Transitional Parliament of April 28, 1995 asks, by his letter No. 072/438/C. 71/95 of September 19, 1995, of the precinct chiefs to make an inventory of the real estate of Banyamulenge with the intention to later seize it. Following the visit by the Continuing Parliamentary Commission, which stayed in Uvira during the month of March, 1996, the head of the Collective Assembly of the Bavira, Mr. Lenge, authorized his group chiefs to inventory the lifestock and other property of the Banyamulenge in preparation for their coming expulsion. On April 29, 1996, GRASABI (French acronym for Action and Support Group for Anzuluni Bembe Isilonyonyi); delivered over national radio (OZRT) a communiqué according to which the Banyamulenge were in the process of planning a civil war in the Zones of Fizi, Mwenga and Uvira, a ‘leak’ of sorts concerning what they themselves were planning to do and a way to confuse the situation. The press has just published a confidential document that notes that the First Vice-President of the High Council of the Republic-Transition Parliament is involved heavily in the sales of arms in his electoral district. What is the motivation of selling guns to the civilians. Curiously this news of the press has been corroborated by the 1995 annual report of the Chief of Collective, Itombwe Sector, who identified the illegal possession of military weapons by 36 persons listed in an appendix. All persons named are members of the GRASABI movement. The Honorable Anzuluni Bembe alone knows the objectives of this movement. The Chief of Collective complains of the uncontrolled speed with which GRASABI is moving. Mr. Prime Minister-Head of the Government, the situation is worrisome in the Zones of Fizi, Uvira and Mwenga. Local opinion is heating up greatly and tribes that are rivals to the Banyamulenge are expecting to be expelled from their homes very soon. The representatives of the Banyamulenge are sending out an alarm to the Government: 1. Our fundamental rights must be protected as must those of other Zairian ethnic groups. There is no other historic or juridical reason to confuse us with immigrants, transplanted persons or Rwandan and Burundian refugees. 2. The ignoble plan to exterminate the Munyamulenge, organized and maintained by the honorable Anzuluni Bembe, must be stopped. 3. The firearms illegally held by members of GRASABI in the Collective of Itombwe and everywhere else in the Zone of Fizi must be seized and the guilty parties punished in accordance with the laws of our country. Please accept, Your Excellency, Mr.Prime Minister and Head of the Government, the expression of our distinguished consideration. On behalf of the Banyamulenge Population, Zones of Fizi, Mwenga and Uvira, the Local and District Chiefs:
(Signatures in evidence as to all 19 names)
ENDNOTES(1) G. Weis. The Country of Uvira (Le pays D’Uvira), Editions Asrom, Tervuren, 1958, p. 113.
September 17,1996
Some facts of the tribalism-based conflict in. South-KivuThe civil war just broke out in South-Kivu, extends over three zones: Uvira, Fizi and Mwenga. The main ethnic group and native of these zones are:
Here we will describe the second group at a given length since it is the only military target of Zairian soldiers together with interahamwe militia and Nyangoma’s troops at the service of some local and central Zairian politicians essentially native of South-Kivu. 1. Historical background The settlement of Banyamulenge, is historically situated between the 16 th and 18 th centuries. They settled in the Ruzizi plain, and then moved to the slopes of the highlands of Uvira zone, namely at Mulenge, which means a set of hamlets built on slopes of mountains, bordered by forests and streams, where from the tribe name of Banyamulenge. From here, they moved westwards and southwards to spread over the territory they populate now, winch is very favorable to their cattle. Their main economic activities are cattle breeding and agriculture. Scientific writers and historians such as Vansina 1., Depelchin I., Hiernaux J., Kagame &, Moeller A., Bayer G., etc have produced very prolific books on this scientific and historical topic. 2. Population The Banyarnulenge population amounts to 650.000 persons (including those living in Shaba province, in Moba zone). In South-Kivu they spread over a territory of about 68.000 km2. 3. Legal situation In 1964 the rebellion called “Mulele”, originally a conflict between different political parties evolved into warfare and strife targeted against Banyamulenge by the neighboring ethnic groups, namely Babembe, Bafuliro and Bavira who massacred them and looted their cattle. The Government’s Army of the time trained and armed Banyamulenge youth, and together they fought and defeated the rebels. In 1979 the creation of Bijombo Location ( a local administrative post in the mountains of Uvira) by the central authority of Kinshasa caused a strong protest on the part of chief Lenghe RUGAZA (now Chief officer of Collectivity of Bavira) as well as some local politicians native of South-Kivu such as Muzima wa Muzima then member of parliament. In 1982 Banyamulenge candidatures to parliament membership were simply turned down on the ground that the candidates were not Zairian nationals. In 1987 the same thing happened to candidates members of the tribe. In their furious reaction to the rejection of the candidatures, Banyamulenge destroyed voting material in their area. Here we may recall that late Gisaro Muhoza was a member of the parliament and died in 1980. Since his death escalation of injustice against his tribe Banyamulenge began. 3. Current situation The situation of insecurity of Banyamulenge in Uvira worsened on 5 th sept. 1996 when their arrests began. Pout the situation has been looming over for over 2 years in Uvira and Bukavu and the surrounding areas. The perpetrators of violence acts against Banyamulenge, are Zairian soldiers with lnterahamwe and Nyangoma’s militia. They all take orders from local politicians such as SHWEKA MUTABAZI, Mayor of Uvira zone, and himself of hutu origin; Kyembwa wa Lumona, Governor of South-Kivu (who went on tour from 23 rd to 29 th August 1996, campaigning for tribal violence against Banyamulenge in Fizi and Mwenga zones); ANZULUNI BEMBE, co-speaker of H.C.R/P.T Some figures: Some 15 persons were massacred, such as
500 rescued have crossed the Ruzizi river to Burundi, in Cibitoke province; and to Rwanda through Bugarama border post. Most of Banyamulenge families of Bukavu succeeded to flee to Rwanda 11th /9/19996 for their individual security. According to the latest news Zairian soldiers with Interahamwe and Nyangomats troops have been deployed to the highlands of Fizi and Uvira zones to massacre, dislodge and expel Banvamulerige from their territory’ to Rwanda. Conclusion The situation prevailing now in South-Kivu is quite similar to that of North-Kivu where tutsi Zairians of Goma, Masisi and Rutshuru zones were massacred and expelled to Rwanda and Uganda in March 1996. The plan to create a second “hutuland4 on the Zairian national territory, has just started with the massacres of Banyamulenge in Uvira and the Ru.zizi plain and then in the mountains of the three zones of South-Kivu. In this deal the handful Zairian politicians are working round the clock using confusion to show to the international community that the tutsi population of and in South-Kivu are Rwandan citizens. The truth is that Banyamulenge are essentially of Tutsi origin and Zairian citizens. The conflict situation will be complicated by the arm prolification in South-Kivu due to the presence in the region of East of Zaire of troops of the former Rwandan Army defeated in 1994. Anybody who wished to buy a fire weapon could do it: weapons could be on sale just like any other articles anywhere. We avail ourselves of this occasion to outlaw the intrusion of Nyangoma’s troops and lnterahamwe militia in this Zairian internal conflict, We denounce the statement of 14 th /9/1996 KAMANDA WA KA.MANDA in which he accuses Burundi and Rwanda of supporting our people to defend themselves against their enemies. We will ever tight for our civil and political rights on our territory. We appeal to the international community to put pressure on the Government of Zaire for our rehabilitation and security in our rights and on our territory. For the Banyamulenge community RUBIBI Joseph signed Dugu Esron. signed |