BUJUMBURA July 23rd (ABP) – The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) organized on Thursday July 22, 2021 in Bujumbura, an information meeting for the administrative officials of Bujumbura City Council, the parliamentarians elected in the constituency of the city of Bujumbura, the representatives of the Prime Minister’s and the President’s Offices to inform them about the next trips of the TRC to the economic capital of Burundi.
In his speech, the mayor of the city of Bujumbura Jimmy Hatungimana first congratulated the TRC for what it has already achieved in investigating the tragic events of the various dates that have passed through Burundi. He took the opportunity to welcome the TRC to investigate in the Bujumbura City Council, explaining that in the economic capital, there are people who have been killed and put in mass graves like in other provinces of the country.
TRC Chair Pierre Claver Ndayicariye first recalled that the TRC had already carried out some investigations into the events of 1972 in some provinces of the country and that mass graves had been found. He exemplified in particular the province of Karusi, Shombo commune, Bukirasazi village where 7,348 victims of the events of 1972 were found. In the province of Gitega, Giheta commune, at Mashitsi where the TRC was able to find 1751 victims, at Nyambeho 204 victims and at Nyabunyovu 902 victims. He also reported that in the south of the country in Rumonge and Nyanza Lac there have already been 1435 victims, in Makamba and Bururi 3008 victims. In the north of the country, in Muyinga province, 452 victims were found and in Kirundo province 157 victims.
The chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission took that opportunity to inform the meeting participants that it is the moment to investigate in the Bujumbura City Council because Bujumbura was the capital of the country where all the decisions were taken, where there were a lot of intellectuals and the General Staff. The TRC also wants to ask the people of Bujumbura City Council if there are mass graves located in the different neighborhoods of the city. The TRC also wants people who are 60 years old and over who are survivors, perpetrators or victims of the events of 1972 (widows and orphans) to approach the commission to give testimonies about the mass graves located in Bujumbura City, the people who were killed in 1972 and even on other events of other dates including 1961, 1965,1971,1966,1993 and so on, for the TRC to take note.
For those who are afraid or have the difficulty of giving testimonies, the chair of the commission indicated that the TRC suggestion boxes will be put at the level of each commune so that those who are afraid to testify write their testimonies on paper and put them in suggestion boxes in their communes.
Mr. Ndayicariye also stressed that the TRC is in the search for the honest truth, the foundation of a lasting peace, unity and reconciliation of Barundi. He specified that the official launch of the testimony-hearing and exhumation works of the TRC in the city of Bujumbura will take place on Tuesday July 27, 2021 between SODECO and the Zion Temple church based in Ngagara.
The meeting participants praised the work accomplished by the TRC and some told the commission that they have a lot of information in relation to the events of 1972 and even events of other dates in Bujumbura City.