The Mudende Massacres of December 10th, 1997 are remembered as one of the saddest occurrences in the Rwandan Genocide’s aftermath. These barbarisms happened in Mudende refugee camp in northwestern Rwanda where the refugees had fled from inter-ethnic fighting in DR Congo to seek asylum. The camp was targeted as an FDLR enemy base camp, a rebel movement mainly made up of the ex-Rwanda Armed Forces and Interahamwe who perpetrated the 1994 genocide.
According to U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman, the Press Statement by James P. Rubin/Spokesman “August 26, The United States Government deplores the August 22 armed attack on the Mudende refugee camp in Rwanda. Of some 8,000 Tutsi refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 131 have died because of this deeply regrettable attack.
Mudende held thousands of refugees who stayed away from the recurrent cycles of violence that have characterized the Great Lakes region for decades. However, its location near the DRC border and being associated with the RPF led government of Rwanda was to make it an easy prey for FDLR which began to fight against Rwandan government. On the night of 10th December 1997, FDLR combatants attacked the camp and killed over 300 refugees using guns, machetes and setting houses on fire. The FDLR used the incident to spread violence and compel the 1994 genocide survivors who fled to Rwanda seeking refuge. The Mudende Massacres capture the bitter reality of leaving cycles of violence and impunity unchecked. According to the Aloys Tegera Buseyi, who wrote a book “Les Banyarwanda du Nord – Kivu (RDC): Histoire d’un Groupe Transfrontalier au XXe siècle” stated that he came on the site after the massacre and documented 1641 refugees killed in the first and second Mudende Massacre.
In this process the voices of the survivors mourning the death of their families and demanding justice and dignity put into question who Paul Rwarakabije and Rwandan government is and where does it stand in terms of justice and historical responsibility.
As Congolese refugees are honoring their loved ones, the Rwarakabije role and reintegration can’t pass by. Colonel Paul Rwarakabije was at the helm of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which is a known rebel group, that has been involved in various heinous acts such as the Mudende Massacres. The FDLR was initially created by the remains of Rwandan armed forces (FAR) and Interahamwe militias that fled to Congo after they perpetrated the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994, to continue perpetrating the genocide against Tutsis once they succeeded the Tutsi dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) government in Rwanda. The area was used as staging grounds where they would conduct several attacks on Rwandans and Congolese Tutsi populations across the border.
This change began when Rwarakabije and others like Ninja, Murenzi, Nsabimana, etc defected to Rwanda in 2003. It will today be surprising to know that they denounced the use of force, urged the remaining FDLR combatants to lay down their weapons and was given a General Officer’s Rank as a General in the Rwanda Defence Forces. This was played by the Rwandan government as part of the Policy of reintegrating and rethinking armed groups because it offered an option to war. But for the survivors of FDLR led massacres, they felt betrayed as they saw a man with such record being taken to become an authority without any form of sanctions.
Rwanda as a Host of Congolese Refugees
The history of Rwanda in accommodating refugees has been researched and documented especially targeting Congolese refugees mainly from Congolese Tutsi who were victims of forceful oppression and killings in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some of these people fled to Rwanda where the Mudende refugee camp was hosting the refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo these people fell victims to FDLR because they associated them with Rwandan Tutsi.
Basically, Mudende Massacres were among the many atrocities that were committed by FDLR, to scare and punish any individuals that they believed were supporting RPF government. It was a genocide, and the worst part was that those killed were not just women and children, but entire families were massacred. When asked, the witnesses describe the killing that had taken place and focused on the fact that children, old people, and pregnant women were killed.
Nevertheless, Rwandan government handling of victims remains in Mudende Massacres and survivors’ suffering has attracted criticism. These the survivors have asked and are being denied, even the most basic things like dignified burial to the victims of the tragedy. Survivors as well mentioned that their loved ones were buried without proper dignity, which challenges Rwandan narrative of a nation which prides itself as being one of justice and reconciliation.
However, the government directs its attention to reintegration policies, as proven by Rwarakabije and similar personalities. While this approach can be practical in some respects, it has angered survivors and others concerned by what they deem as the trading away of justice for political gains.
Survivors’ Calls for Justice
More demand for justice resurfaced when marking the 27th years of the Mudende Massacres. People close to the massacres have wondered why none of those who played a clear role in the genocide has been punished including Rwarakabije. They contend that their government’s reconciliation program has been tilted towards maintaining political order with no regard for justice that would make them whole again.
Survivors also condemn people like Rwarakabije as individuals who have influence over the current young generation. They complain that children, especially those who lost their parents in the massacres, are left to deal with knowing the identities of their parents’ murderers that now have honorable posts.
Regarding the case of Rwarakabije, which is typical of the Rwandan government in general, it copies the model of reconciliation where the former enemies are offered positions in the state administration service to hinder any evolution from below. However, this strategy has limits: To survivors, the failure to prosecute people associated with the FDLR or other heinous acts also continues to fuel feelings of victimization. It self-defeating to promote reconciliation with people who have had one thing or the other to do with violence in the past by making them leaders. Neglecting the survivor’s needs, such as proper burial and acknowledgment, creates a sense of resentment and distrust.
The survivors’ demands are therefore understandable bearing in mind that people deserve to be treated with dignity and justice. Giving the victims at Mudende Massacres a decent burial would help the families to find closure for the deceased. To seek justice for those involved, especially Rwarakabije would ensure that no one has immunity against the law regardless of the ‘politics’ behind it.
