BUJUMBURA July 28th (ABP) – The chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Mr. Pierre Claver Ndayicariye, proceeded on Tuesday, July 27, at SODECO based in Ngagara zone, Ntahangwa commune of Bujumbura City Council, with the official launch of the activities of that commission.
In his speech, the chair of the TRC first recalled that the commission has already worked even in other provinces of the country, including Gitega, Bururi, Rumonge, Karusi, Makamba, Kirundo and Muyinga on the events that took place in 1972.
According to Mr. Ndayicariye, it is the turn to work in the City Council of Bujumbura. He took that opportunity to invite the people of Bujumbura City who know the geographical location of the mass graves to inform the TRC so that the latter works on it. It is the same for those who know the elderly, widows, orphans, survivors and others who can testify about the violations of 1972. He also invited those who have archives related to those events, including schools, justice, army and civil service speaking of those killed, mass graves and other information related to that date to present those documents to the TRC.
For the people of the City Council who are afraid to testify, he invited them to write their testimonies on a piece of paper and to go and deposit them in suggestion boxes that the TRC has placed at the level of each municipality of the City Council.
The CVR chair specified that they are working on the 1972 site and that afterwards they will start other sites including 1965, 1971, 1988, 1993 and other dates.
“The TRC is looking for an inclusive truth that embraces all the crises the country has experienced,” Mr Ndayicariye said.