BUJUMBURA March 1st (ABP) – The Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the National Assembly the Honorable Emmanuel Sinzohagera and Gélase Ndabirabe enhanced their presence on Saturday February 26 at Rutambiro villqge, Kankima zone, in Mugongomanga commune of the province Bujumbura (western Burundi), the provisional closing ceremonies of the investigations into human rights violations and mass graves of 1972-1973, organized by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a check on the site by ABP has revealed .
Those ceremonies began with a mass in memory of the victims of 1972-1973 whose remains made up of bones were exposed to the view of the high authorities, the various State executives, the administrative authorities of that province, the people and the journalists.
During that prayer, the representatives of the Catholic, Protestant and Muslim community pointed out that what happened is abominable and goes beyond understanding, calling on Burundians to open a new page that leads to reconciliation. They implored the Almighty to welcome the disappeared into his kingdom and also prayed for the executioners, who still exist, to change their behavior.
A guided tour by the TRC chairman Pierre Claver Ndayicariye was made to the trench where 1562 bodies of human remains were exhumed who were killed in 1972-1973 and highlighted the responsibility of the administrative authorities of the time qualifying this who was found in the mass graves of Bujumbura from reality facing the truth hidden for 50 years.
Indeed, said Mr. Ndayicariye, 93 bodies were found in Gomvyi in Mutambu commune, 72 in Rukina in Mukike commune, 8 in Nyarukere, 117 in Nyarumpongo in Isare commune and 1562 in Rutambiro in Mugongomanga commune.
In his address as a native of the province, Senate President Emmanuel Sinzohagera condemned that murderous madness that drove Burundians to kill the brothers and signaled that what happened should not happen again. He called on the perpetrators of those crimes to ask for forgiveness. According to the president of the senate, the province has suffered so much and lost its sons, noting that the time has come to rethink the wounds and flow once and for all towards reconstruction.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, in the speech for the occasion, asked that God may forgive Burundians in general and everyone in particular, pointing out that what happened is beyond comprehension and he urged the perpetrators of those killings to imperatively ask for forgiveness, failing which, they could be brought before the Burundian courts. To the families of the victims, the Speaker of the National Assembly urged them to forgive those who ask for it.