BUJUMBURA, December 28th (ABP) – The government of Burundi proceeded on December 26, 2023 to the burial with dignity of the 20 people coldly murdered at Vugizo at the night of December 21 to 22, 2023. The burial ceremonies took place at the Warubondo cemetery, north of the headquarters of Gatumba zone, Mutimbuzi commune of Bujumbura province, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
In great bitterness, great consternation was seen on the faces of theirs, who prostrated themselves to bid them their last farewell. The government of Burundi was represented in those ceremonies by the Minister of the Interior, Community Development and Public Security, Martin Niteretse, the MPs elected in the Bujumbura constituency, the various persons in authority, and the people of Gatumba and members of the families that have lost theirs.
In Mass in their memory, celebrated at the Gatumba parish, Mgr. Anatole Rugerinyange reminded the participants that killing is a great evil that can exist. He indicated that God forbids us from killing, as stated in the 5th commandment and other Holy Scriptures. Mgr. Rugerinyange clarified that under any pretext, nothing can justify killing, the life of a person being sacred, no one could take it away, he stressed.
He was surprised by the cyclical killings which characterize the Burundians. “We continue to bury the dead, if there is a misunderstanding, the solution to the dispute would come through dialogue and not through weapons,” concluded Mgr. Rugerinyange.
The ceremonies continued with the accompaniment of the missing to their final resting place at Warubondo. The governor of Bujumbura province, Désiré Nsengiyumva noted that the victims were surprised by an attack while they were doing housework.
The leader of Vugizo village, a survivor of that attack by the name of Bonaventure Minani, thanked the government of Burundi that organized the funerals and assisted the affected families.
He took the opportunity to ask other benefactors to stand by them, pointing out that those families had been living in poverty until now.
Minister Niteretse indicated that the government of Burundi was very saddened by the death of those people who were killed by bombs. He offered his condolences to the affected families, stressing that it is a great loss for the country. According to him, it is a sign of an evil spirit, great criminality and called it a reprehensible barbaric act. He promised that the government has already started investigations and that the perpetrators will be prosecuted to answer for their actions.
In collaboration with the Interpol police, he reported, they will be arrested, extradited and will be tried, the government of Burundi will say who they are after the investigations. He then said that the government of Burundi will stay alongside the families who have lost theirs; it will give them what would sustain them. It is also responsible for paying the bills of the eight people hospitalized. Minister Niteretse recommended that they be well cared for.
He also called on well-wishers to help those people because they live in incredible poverty. He called on members of the Imbonerakure youth league and members of the joint security committees to report any information useful to the investigation and to redouble their vigilance.