massacr4

Burundi: Massacres and Extrajudicial Executions in 1999

Burundi Bureau
Analysis N° 07 ( N°32 in french)
Bujumbura / Bonn
03.20.00

December 1999

31/12/99	At 6:30 in the morning 67 unarmed civilians, mainly women and children, were murdered by soldiers from the post at Mubone, Kabezi commune, Rural Bujumbura province. The soldiers began holding up the farmers at 5 o'clock , when they were on their way to the central market in Bujumbura. The victims were killed with bayonets or, if they tried to escape, with bullets.
25/12/99	Soldiers in the Burundian marines killed one fisherman on Lake Tanganyika about 50 meters from the shore. After they had injured their victim with machetes they drove over him with a patrol boat.

22/12/99	A woman was killed in Musaga, an area in the south of the capital inhabited mainly by members of the military. In order to hide the traces her body was taken to Kanyosha. Witnesses however observed soldiers pulling her body out of their car.
20/12/99	Around 10 o'clock at night soldiers shot the MP Gabriel GISABWAMANA while he was kneeling. They claimed that he had refused to show his identity card and had tried to flee. Those in his company stated that he had shown his identification papers that proved he was a Member of Parliament.

November 1999

24/11/99

9 unarmed civilians (4 women, 2 babies and 3 men) were killed by soldiers near Nyabunyegeri, Rubirizi zone, Mubimbuzi commune, Bujumbura Rural province. They lived in the regroupment camp of Rubirizi and had left the camp with the permission of the military in order to work in their rice fields.

15 unarmed civilians were killed on the Busoro colline, Rural Bujumbura province by soldiers from the post "Chez Kayonde". Thirteen others were taken by soldiers to the Mugoyi colline where 10 of these persons were killed.

23/11/99

Between noon and 1 o'clock in the afternoon a grenade exploded in the central market of Bujumbura. Two people died and 15 people were injured.These grenades are the direct consequence of the arming of the Tutsi civilians and the distribution of arms to the death squadrons in the capital.

October 1999

24/10/99	Soldiers murdered 17 unarmed civilians in a northern area of the capital. Among these was a pupil of the l'école secondaire of Kamenge.
20/10/99	Colonel Gafuteri fired shots at a choir which was preparing a mass in Mont Sion. Fortunately only 3 persons were injured in the shooting that lasted 30 minutes.
19/10/99	More than 30 unarmed civilians were killed by soldiers near Kizingwe which is not far from Ruziba zone in Bujumbura. Before that 80 civilians had been arrested and tied up. Around 10 o'clock in the morning soldiers close by in Nkenga, Kanyosha commune, Rural Bujumbura province shot into the air, in order to give the impression that the rebels were attacking. In reality the shots were signals for their comrades to begin murdering the civilians.
15/10/99	Soldiers from the camp Socarte shot the cowhand of Colonel Ndayizamba. They had invited a T.V. station to come and see that they had killed an "attacker."
12/10/99	The Chilean Luis Zuniga, the representative of UNICEF in Burundi, and Saskia Von Meijenfeld, a woman from the Netherlands responsible for the logistics, were murdered in Rutana in the southeast of Burundi together with 7 Burundians during their visit to a regroupment camp. The army is trying to make the rebel armies responsible for these murders , but all evidence shows that the military itself was involved.
8/10/99	15 unarmed civilians in the regroupment camp Ruyaga, Rural Bujumbura province were killed by a soldier after he had demanded money from them.
beginning of October	Members of the military murdered a history professor. They showed the dead "attacker" on T.V. His brother-in-law, an officer in the army stationed near Ngozi, had to intervene and prove that the story was not true.

September 1999

28/9/99	7 unarmed civilians, among these were 5 children, were killed near Gasenyi, Rural Bujumbura province in their home by soldiers and members of the death squadrons. Another 30 unarmed civilians were murdered in the Protestant church of Nyambuye, Kanyosha commune, Rural Bujumbura province. 40 unarmed civilians were killed during searches by the army in the south of Bujumbura.
25/9/99	8 unarmed civilians, among them the shopkeeper Rumashi, all from Mpinga Kayove, Rutana province, were killed and robbed by members of the military.
21/9/99	Soldiers from Nyamaboko killed 5 unarmed civilians from the regroupment camps Kunkondo and Buhina, Kanyosha commune, Rural Bujumbura province. Soldiers killed 18 unarmed civilians in the Mpinga Kayove commune, Rutana province. Helméngilde Ntahondi was killed by soldiers near Musagara, Kiyenzi zone, Rural Bujumbura province. She had been called out of a regroupment camp under the pretext that she should transport baggage for the soldiers.
19/10/99	6 unarmed civilians were murdered by soldiers near Sororezo. Filled with anger farmers buried the corpses near the monument for national unity that had been erected and officially opened by Major Buyoya. Three days later soldiers forced them to dig out the bodies.
16/9/99	A member of the military killed the head of the administration of the Buhinyza commune, Muyinga province. The same soldier had previously murdered a nun and a farm woman.

August 1999

26/8/99	A couple was murdered in Bubanza, a quarter of Bujumbura, by soldiers stationed at the post on the 10th Avenue, about 400 meters from their home.
18/8/99	5 unarmed civilians including a 70-year-old woman were killed by soldiers from Gitaramuka, Kabezi commune, Rural Bujumbura province.
15/8/99	10 unarmed civilians including a child were killed by soldiers in the Kabezi commune, Rural Bujumbura province.
12/8/99	At least 250 unarmed civilians, 400 according to FRODEBU reports, 207 according to reports in the newspapers, were rounded up and killed around 5:40 by soldiers in Ruziba (Kazimuha), Kabezi commune, Rural Bujumbura province. The whole world condemned the massacre, but Major Buyoya and his army said that they had killed only 12 rebels that day.
9/8/99	Policemen in Ngagara, the town administration of Bujumbura, murdered M. De la Chance Rachid, the language teacher at the lycée of Cibitoke. He died only a few hours following his arrest as a result of severe torture.
8/8/99	Two soldiers beat the fish dealer J. Berchmans to death.
7/8/99	Two unarmed civilians, Melchior Ngoranwa and Audace Gashingano, were tortured to death by soldiers stationed at the Buterere I, 6th Avenue.

July 1999

28/7/99	The corporal Bonaventure Ndikumana was publically executed for having murdered an officer one week before. He had been sentenced to death without having received any legal defense and was thus executed illegally.
26/7/99	Two young girls were killed by soldiers in the regroupment camp Ruyaga, Kanyosha commune.
19/7/99	Between 5 and 6 o'clock in the morning soldiers killed 27 unarmed civilians, including 10 women and 7 children, near the Gisovu colline, Kanyosha commune, Rural Bujumbura province.
18/7/99	12 unarmed Twa civilians were murdered by soldiers near Kanyosha. They were accused of not having tried to hold up members of the resistance forces who had stolen cows. In reality the soldiers themselves had hidden when they saw the members of the resistance.
12/7/99	Death squadrons murdered 3 unarmed Hutu civilians who walked through Cibitoke, a part of the capital which has been ethnically "cleansed" since 1995. In a meeting the inhabitants of Cibitoke told Colonel Twagiramungu, the Secretary of State, that the Hutu should stay in the areas designated for them.
11/7/99	12 unarmed civilians were killed in Kiremera-Kavumu in Moso, in the east of Burundi. Another 6 unarmed civilians were murdered near Ndemeka, Nyabitsinda commune, Bururi province.

May 1999

25/5/99	Soldiers began firing shots in the regroupment camp Rutegama near Rushubi, Isale commune, Rural Bujumbura province. 30 unarmed civilians died.
23/5/99	14 unarmed civilians were killed by a military patrol near Ruziba. The soldiers were accompanied by the head of the administration of Ruziba zone, Bujumbura City.

April 1999

28/4/99	48 unarmed civilians were murdered by soldiers stationed at the post Nyentakara, Kayogoro commune, Makamba province. Twelve of these persons were burned to death.
14 - 28/4/99	80 unarmed civilians were killed by soldiers in the Kinyinya, Nyabitsinda and Gisuru communes, Ruyigi province.
23/4/99	13 unarmed civilians were killed by soldiers. The soldiers had forced them to accompany them under the pretext that they (the civilians) should help them look for the rebels that had attacked the day before.
4/4/99	Soldiers opened fire upon the worshippers after the Whitsun church services in the church of Mushara, Nyanza Lac commune, Makamba province. Four women and 6 children died. In the regroupment camp Nyabisange 3 unarmed civilians, 2 women and one man, were killed. This led to a state of panic in the regroupment camp. Many tried to escape to Tansania, but were prevented by soldiers. A number of other persons also died. Elisabeth Kasongo was killed when she tried to cross the border to rejoin her husband.

March 1999

17/3/99	Régine Nkeshimana, employed at the postoffice, died in Bujumbura from a bullet wound. The bullet of a policeman had injured her on March 13, 1999 in her own house.
4/3/99	Soldiers from the post Musama, Kabezi commune killed more than 60 unarmed civilians on the collines Ceri and Nyarende, not far from the center of Mutumba.
the end of March	Phillibert Manirakiza, a taylor, was killed by soldiers from Gatumba in his home.

February 1999

16/2/99	20 unarmed civilians from a regroupment camp were forced to accompany soldiers from the post Kisovu, Kanyosha commune, Rural Bujumbura province. They had been told that they would have to find members of the resistance forces. As soon as they walked out of the regroupment camp all of these unarmed civilians, including at least 6 women, were killed.
12/2/99	5 unarmed civilians from the Kirombwe colline were murdered by soldiers. Three of the persons were Augustin Mvuyekure (79 years old), Paul Nkundwanabake (73) and Bagira (60).
9/2/99	Following the orders of a military commander soldiers opened fire in the regroupment camp Giko, Bubanza province killing 4 persons and injuring 8 persons.
8/2/99	Sergeant Nzisabira gave the order to arrest 23 unarmed civilians in broad daylight at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. They were detained and then immediately executed.
5/2/99	Michel Bakanfobeke, the chief judge at the court in Mibimbi, was murdered at a military post with his family witnessing the execution. The family had previously been regrouped from the Muhuta commune.

January 1999

15 - 31/1/99	At least 200 unarmed civilians were killed by solders near Muresi close to Kayogoro in the south of Burundi.
31/1/99	Barnabé Ndaruzaniye, the adviser of Mubone zone, was killed at the military post of Mubone. Soldiers had accused him of talking negatively about them to foreigners.
28/1/99	Soldiers stationed in Mugendo, Kanyosha commune, Rural Bujumbura province killed 27 unarmed civilians, mainly women and children. The army says these persons were rebels, but among the victims were Gervais Ngowenubusa (83 years of age) and Gérard Nibigira (14).
11/1/99	One adviser of Mubone zone was killed by soldiers. He had given evidence as a witness of the massacre of January 4, 1999.
5/1/99	3 unarmed civilians were killed by soldiers near Musugi, Kiyenzi zone, Rural Bujumbura province.
4/1/99	67 unarmed civilians were murdered by soldiers at the Kimina colline, Mubone zone, Rural Bujumbura province. According to the figures given by the army 17 rebels had been killed. The list giving the names of the victims shows that many of the victims were women and children. The same day another unarmed civilian, Pascal Bimbikisi, was killed by soldiers neara Musugi, Rural Bujumbura province.
4/1/99	At least 55 unarmed civilians were killed on the Kimina and Gakungwe collines, Mubone zone, Rural Bujumbura province. Among the victims were a number of women.

This list is not complete. Other massacres and murders may have taken place in areas of Burundi in which there were no witnesses. This list only contains the killings and massacres committed by the army as well as the death squadrons and "security forces" working directly with the army. Not named are the many cases of "disappearances."