By Seif Shaggy Gracien Hasingizwimana/Kigali, Rwanda
The Chairperson of the Rwanda Elders Advisory Forum, Tito Rutaremara, has urged Banyamulenge youth to play a role in addressing the ongoing insecurity and injustice in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Rutaremara made the remarks on August 13, 2026, during a commemoration ceremony for the Banyamulenge killed in an attack on the Gatumba camp in Burundi on August 13, 2004. The Banyamulenge state that the attack claimed the lives of approximately 166 people.
During the ceremony, participants expressed concern over killings and other acts targeting the Banyamulenge and other Kinyarwanda speakers in eastern DRC, calling on the international community to take measures to protect civilians and prosecute those suspected of involvement in the violence.
In his message, Rutaremara urged Banyamulenge youth not to focus solely on the issues in their local area of Mulenge, but rather to participate in seeking peace and building the entire DRC.
He said: “Do not think that things will be resolved just by taking a little bit of Kivu and elsewhere, no. Take Katanga, Mbuji-Mayi, and Kinshasa; let peace come, and build a country that enjoys peace.”
Rutaremara stated that the Banyamulenge should not view Mulenge alone as their home, as the entire DRC is their country. He called for their involvement in national issues not to be limited to the eastern regions.
He added: “I was listening earlier and hearing, ‘Youth, what are you going to do?’ Rise up and go liberate the country. You are here while over there is a country where people are fighting; report me if you want, but rise up, take up arms, assist those over there, and liberate Congo—Congo belongs to you.”
He also noted that if the DRC is liberated and achieves peace, the crimes committed against the Banyamulenge would become more widely known, and those responsible would be held accountable.
Rutaremara cited the example of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, stating that the fact that it became known and its perpetrators were prosecuted serves as an example showing the importance of victory and having a government capable of bringing crimes to light.
He said: “If Congo is liberated, this Gatumba genocide will be known. Why is the one here punished? It is because we won; had we been defeated, it would not be spoken of.”
This comes at a time when eastern DRC continues to experience fighting between the M23 movement and government forces, while persistent insecurity in the region over the years has led to the displacement of numerous civilians.
The Banyamulenge also accuse Burundi of collaborating with DRC government forces in military operations that they say target residents and livestock in Mulenge.
In the region, there is also a group composed of Banyamulenge known as “Twirwaneho”, which is in conflict with government forces allied with the Burundian military. Rutaremara believes that the Banyamulenge should not limit themselves to self-defense alone, but should instead participate in liberating the whole of the DRC and building it in peace.
The Gatumba attack occurred on August 13, 2004, when armed groups including the FNL launched an assault on the Gatumba camp, located near the border between Burundi and the DRC.
