The Burundi Hutu Genocide

[Rwanda]

The Burundi Hutu Genocide

Already well before 1972, other events, such as those of 1965 and 1969 which consisted, once again, to persecute the hutus had already taken place.
What are the facts? On 15 January 1965, the prime minister burundians of origin hutu, Pierre Ngendandumwe is killed by extremists tutsis first of all because of the post that occupied this first but mostly because he was hutu. The murder that occurred at a time when ngendandumwe was going to visit his wife who had just given birth but he had no time to see her since he was shot down in front of the entrance of the hospital louis rwagasore. A witness later said he saw someone run away shouting: “ndaguhaye jewe umwana w ‘ Abatutsi” (I got you, me, child of the tutsi). It is to clarify that for a long time, the hutu burundian rarely had access to the posts in responsibility, and for that reason it was unthinkable for some tutsi have a prime minister hutu.

Then, there was a coup during the month of October 1965 by Lieutenant-General Michel Micombero, a member of the uprona party (Union for national progress) to tutsi majority, which by this coup became the first president Of Burundi. It’s at the time of his arrival in power that the real massacres against the hutu begin. Following this coup, members of Parliament, senior officials, gendarmes, soldiers and senators are arrested and killed. Hutu of very influential in burundi society such as Paul Mirerekano, an activist for social justice and democracy, are killed. There will be in 1965 more than 10 000 hutu killed as well as 2000 Hutu refugees.

On 15 March 1972 a plot hutu is denounced. This plot, would be, according to some sources to execute any person who would participate at a party officers organized in bujumbura. As soon as that day, some hutu are monitored very closely.

The Former King, ntawe v, hit by the coup instigated by Michel Micombero in 1965 is reduced to bujumbura while he was hitherto refugee in Uganda. He is accused of wanting to topple the republic and restore the monarchy. Then, the president at the time, micombero has his government certainly by fear that there are “Traitors” around him.

On 26 April 1972, an assembly of the uprona party imposes to all those who have not yet joined the jrrr (revolutionary youth rwagasore) to do so immediately. It is requested to president micombero to establish a law which establishes the supremacy of the uprona party.

On 27 April 1972, weapons are distributed to intellectuals tutsis and all influencers in the mass. However, fortunately or unfortunately, weapons are distributed, by mistake, a few hutu.

On 29 April 1972, the distribution of weapons ends at bururi (province consisting mainly of the tutsi population). Subsequently, the king ntare v will be executed in the night of 29 April 1972 by men of which we still don’t know the identity.

On 1 May 1972, the radio of bujumbura declares on the antennas that fighting are ongoing in the south of burundi; fighting including the actors would be the mulelistes, originating in Zaire, assisted by the monarchists burundian and rwandan . Any gathering of more than three persons is prohibited.

On 2 May 1972, the radio announces that we must denounce all troublemakers. The revolt of course is attributed to the hutu and the purpose is to mobilize the hutus against the tutsis, but also for that Tanzania, the oau (organization of African unity, functional from 1963 to 2002) as well as the community International React in order to help the tutsi in their plan.

What was the purpose of this genocide?

The goal was really to eliminate the population hutu, in part at least. There was a clear determination of absolutely eliminate all intellectual hutu located in burundi at that time, in order to prevent them from mount socially. Nevertheless this genocide had also intended to eradicate the head of state so that the country is immersed in the confusion and anger. It should be pointed out that in the end, it’s not the head of state at the time Michel Micombero who was killed but the ex-head of state ntare v born Charles Ndizeye (SON OF KING MWAMBUTSA IV).

Methods Used to kill

During the first three days and according to the regions, the people were shot because he had to move fast in order to exterminate all senior officials hutu. Then, some of them were killed with Bamboo, as well as machetes and clubs; others were buried alive, the bayonet was used to kill some students; others were stifled in cinemas over-manned, torn or impaled (that is, To say into the anuses a stake through the body).

The lists

As in most of the genocide, the lists are drawn up in advance so that we know what are the people that we desperately need you to eliminate. The lists of officials, business leaders, officials, owners of accounts in the savings or the post office, employees, workers, servants and influencers in the population hutu had been established for a long time. Women were disembowelled for that children never see the day. As for the little bit of hutu who were in the army, their fate was known in advance. In Schools, these are the students tutsis who denounced and set lists of their colleagues. As for the peasants, they knew each other between them and knew who was what ethnicity. Their elimination was so easy.

So since the 1st of may 1972 and this for more than two months, trucks loaded with corpses and prisoners concealed under the tarps walked in the streets of bujumbura. There is no doubt that these trucks were heading to the mass graves where the bulldozers, covered them from the earth. Balance Sheet? More than 300 000 dead.

The attitude of the population

The Tutsi population had nothing to fear to the extent that it was not covered by this genocide. Furthermore some tutsi do not hesitated to denounce or make a list of hutu that needed to be torn down.

For the people hutu people it was save him-who-can. Some hutus were forced to denounce others because they were forced to do so. Others were driven to execute their brothers or their children. Those who could have fled in other countries.

As for the clergy, he was not gentle with the population hutu. Some men of the church have not hesitated to support this genocide, such as the bishop of bujumbura, Michel Ntuyahaga, or even the Archbishop of Burundi, André Manirakiza.

The attitude of the international community

The outside world has learned of the existence of this genocide after his course and that because all the tracks had been painstakingly erased. There was no trace of a body or blood. That being said, the outside world was horrified by learning by after what had happened. The Belgian Prime Minister, Gaston Eyskens, the time will the events that happened in burundi of genocide. As for the United Nations, she’ll talk about… tragedy.