Gatumba
Encyclopedia
The village of Gatumba lies on the western side of Burundi
, near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. The place is known for a massacre that took place at a refugee camp connected to the village.
A force of armed combatants, many of them members of the Forces for National Liberation (FNL)
, massacred at least 152 Congolese
civilians and wounded another 106. The FNL is a predominantly Hutu
rebel movement known for its hostility to Tutsi
and the victims were largely Banyamulenge
, a group often categorized with Tutsi
. The FNL is believed to have been behind a series of other attacks, including the December 28, 2000 Titanic Express massacre
.
Brigadier-General Germain Niyoyankana, head of the Burundian army, accused Congolese troops of complicity in the killings.
Following the FNL's admission of responsibility for the Gatumba massacre, the Burundian government issued arrest warrants for the group's leader, Agathon Rwasa
, and declared its intention to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court
. The United Nations
issued a resolution condemning the attack, and the African Union
declared the FNL a terrorist organisation. No arrests have yet been made.
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
, near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. The place is known for a massacre that took place at a refugee camp connected to the village.
Massacre
On August 13, 2004, a refugee camp in Gatumba was the scene of one of the largest civilian massacres carried out in Burundi in recent years.A force of armed combatants, many of them members of the Forces for National Liberation (FNL)
Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People
The National Forces of Liberation , formerly Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People is a rebel group in Burundi which fought in the Burundi Civil War for the Hutu ethnic group...
, massacred at least 152 Congolese
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
civilians and wounded another 106. The FNL is a predominantly Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
rebel movement known for its hostility to Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
and the victims were largely Banyamulenge
Banyamulenge
The Banyamulenge is a term historically describing the ethnic Tutsi Rwandans concentrated on the High Plateau of South Kivu, in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , close to the Burundi-Congo-Rwanda border...
, a group often categorized with Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
. The FNL is believed to have been behind a series of other attacks, including the December 28, 2000 Titanic Express massacre
Titanic Express massacre
The Titanic Express massacre was an event which took place on 28 December 2000, in which 21 people were killed in an attack on a bus, the “Titanic Express”, close to the Burundi capital Bujumbura....
.
Brigadier-General Germain Niyoyankana, head of the Burundian army, accused Congolese troops of complicity in the killings.
Following the FNL's admission of responsibility for the Gatumba massacre, the Burundian government issued arrest warrants for the group's leader, Agathon Rwasa
Agathon Rwasa
Agathon Rwasa is a Burundian politician and the leader of the National Liberation Forces . He was a Hutu militia leader during the Burundi Civil War.Rwasa was reported to be a Born-again Christian....
, and declared its intention to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
. The United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
issued a resolution condemning the attack, and the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
declared the FNL a terrorist organisation. No arrests have yet been made.