Kasika massacre

The Kasika massacre (French: Massacre de Kasika) took place on August 24, 1998, in the villages of Kasika, Kilungutwe, Kalama, and Zokwe, located in the Luindi Chiefdom of the Mwenga Territory in the South Kivu Province, situated in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Troops from the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) and Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), primarily composed of Tutsi armed forces, killed over 1,000 civilians, predominantly belonging to the Nyindu community.[1][2]

Kasika massacre
Part of Kivu conflict
The royal tombs where Mwami Mubeza III was killed along with the royal court members
LocationLuindi Chiefdom, Mwenga Territory, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
DateAugust 24, 1998
Attack type
Massacre, ethnic cleansing, arson, sexual violence
Deaths1,000 civilians killed per DRC Mapping Exercise Report
VictimNyindu people
PerpetratorsRally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF)
MotiveAllegations that the local population had offered support to the Mai-Mai rebels and the government of Laurent-Désiré Kabila

The massacre's memory is deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness of the Congolese populace and affected prominent politicians, human rights activists, and organizations dedicated to human rights.[3][4][5]

Background

First Congo War and Second Congo War
Further information: First Congo War and Second Congo War

Following the Rwandan genocide, a significant number of Hutu rebels, known as the 'Interahamwe,' and Hutu refugees sought refuge in the forests surrounding various localities of Uvira, Walungu, Kabare, Kalehe, Shabunda, Goma, Rutchuru, Mugunga, Lac Vert, Masisi, Walikale, Tingi-Tingi, Amisi, Pangi, Kasongo, and Kindu. In 1996, during the First Congo War, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) and Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL) forces, in collaboration with the Banyamulenge armed groups, launched operations to locate and neutralize the Hutu militias and refugees, and to overthrow the government of Mobutu Sese Seko, whose regime marginalized Tutsis from political power.[6][7][8]

This military campaign resulted in the loss of numerous lives among Rwandan and Burundian refugees scattered across various locations in the South and North Kivu provinces.[9] Even those refugee populations that had integrated into local communities were not spared and became targets of attacks by the forces of the RPA and AFDL.[9] The Second Congo War that ensued after Mobutu's ousting unleashed widespread violations and abuses against Congolese civilians of various ethnic groups residing in the eastern part of the DRC.[10][11]

During this tumultuous period, the newly formed Tutsi Rwandan-backed rebel group, the Rally for Congolese Democracy (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie; RCD), sought to topple Laurent-Désiré Kabila's government due to his refusal to share power with former allies from the AFDL and RPA.[11][12][13][14] The RCD forces gained control over significant parts of South Kivu Province, displacing civilians and eventually capturing a substantial portion of Mwenga Territory.[15] In response, numerous local defense groups emerged, driven by the urgent need to safeguard their communities from the incursions of RCD and RPA forces. Militant factions, including the Maï-Maï, garnered strong support from the local populace and the Kabila government. On August 23, 1998, in an ambush organized by the Maï-Maï on the road between Bukavu and Kindu, around 20 RCD and APR forces were killed, preventing them from gaining control over Mwenga Territory.[1][16]

Attack

The initial attack took place at a Catholic church parish in Kasika village, located in the Lwindi Chiefdom, approximately 108 kilometers from Bukavu in the Mwenga Territory of the South Kivu Province. The Missionary International Service News Agency (MISNA), a Rome-based Roman Catholic humanitarian news agency operating in the area, was the first to report the massacre in December 1999.[17][18][19]

According to MISNA, the RCD forces retaliated for casualties endured in an ambush by elements of Mai-Mai in the Lwindi Chiefdom on August 23. Infuriated by the loss of their members during the ambush, the RCD forces launched an attack on the Catholic Church parish in Kasika the following day, resulting in the deaths of thirty-seven civilians, including the parish priest (Abbé Stanislas), three nuns, and parishioners. Additionally, other civilians were killed in the surrounding communities. The RCD forces also murdered Mwami Mubeza III, born Naluindi Francis, the chief of the Lwindi Chiefdom. He was bound, killed with a machete, his heart was extracted from his chest, and his head was severed. His pregnant wife was brutally disemboweled, resulting in the death of their twin fetuses. In addition, 26 other individuals were killed in his residence.[19][20][21][22][23]

While attempting to flee, 385 people who had not been killed in the church were callously massacred.[22][24] During their journey to Kilungutwe, the attackers ruthlessly killed 43 people and burned 50 others in a village called Zokwe. In the vicinity of Zokwe, on the way to Kilungutwe, in the locality of Kalama, RCD and RPA soldiers burned alive 95 people in their houses.[22][24] In Kilungutwe, which was situated 15 miles away from Kasika and served as a hub for other villagers to acquire supplies, the carnage continued. Soldiers identified as RPA, allied with the RCD according to survivors' accounts, opened fire on the unarmed population gathered in the central market square, resulting in the deaths of at least 173 civilians.[22] Subsequently, the soldiers instructed the villagers to gather in huts in groups of 50 people of all ages, where they massacred them.[22] Some survivors reported these atrocities to Amnesty International investigators. In another house, 54 people were forcibly assembled. They were compelled to undress, after which the soldiers tied them up with their clothes before killing them. The soldiers followed the same method to kill over 200 more people.[22]

During the 37-mile (60 km) journey from Kasika to Kilungutwe, passing through Kalama on August 23 and 24, over 1,000 civilians, including men, women, children, and the elderly, were brutally massacred, as reported by the United Nations Mapping Report.[25] The exact extent of the destruction of houses and other infrastructure could not be verified due to poor security conditions and uncertainty regarding the protection of witnesses.[22]

Aftermath

The aftermath of the massacre reverberated throughout the nation, evoking thoroughgoing shock and disgust among the Congolese population, as well as garnering condemnation from prominent opposition politicians. The massacre was widely condemned by internationally recognized human rights organizations such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch.[26] Kofi Annan expressed deep concern for the victims and pledged ongoing support for regional initiatives aimed at facilitating a ceasefire, withdrawing foreign troops, and fostering democratic peace in the country. He also expressed regret that the findings of the massacre investigation had not yet been made public.[27] In response to the crisis, Laurent-Désiré Kabila ordered the complete evacuation of the rebels as a precondition for a ceasefire.[28]

Different perspectives emerged regarding the involvement of foreign troops. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe claimed that Zimbabwean and Angolan troops were deployed to support Kabila's regime under the auspices of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). However, Nelson Mandela disagreed with Mugabe's decision, asserting that Mugabe had no authority to deploy troops under the SADC umbrella. Mandela advocated for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.[28]

Kabila's government attributed blame to the Rwandan government and declared its unwillingness to participate in ceasefire talks until Rwandan and Ugandan troops were withdrawn from the DRC. Andre Kapanga, the DRC's ambassador to the United Nations, emphasized the importance of troop withdrawal as a prerequisite for meaningful dialogue on a ceasefire.[28]

The United States, through the U.S. State Department, expressed its support for the Southern African Development Community's efforts to resolve the crisis in the DRC. The United States aligned itself with the regional initiative, endorsing the endeavor to bring an end to the conflict.[28]

Nyindu community

The massacre deeply impacted the Nyindu community, leaving them overwhelmed by grief and trauma as they grappled with the loss of their loved ones and the devastation inflicted upon their lives. The Nyindu community initiated legal proceedings to hold the perpetrators accountable for their crimes. They urged the Congolese authorities to confront the root causes that fueled such violence, seeking meaningful reforms to address the underlying issues within the region.[22]

Kakozi Milenge, the director of a primary school in the community, recalled the dark night that forever altered their history. He recalls:

"It was a dark night which changed the history of our land and our people. We lost our hope upon seeing the ‘Mwami’ (traditional leader) killed together with the members of the royal court. Nothing like that happened before in our tribe. The heart of the land was grieved. That night the Banyamulenge soldiers became our number one enemies…." "With the passing of time, we have learned to forget. But we still wait to see if some representatives of Banyamulenge will come one day to ask forgiveness to the members of our tribe who are willing to forgive them”.[29]

The community forged partnerships with local and international advocacy groups. They established support networks, counseling services, and empowerment initiatives to provide assistance to survivors and assist them in rebuilding their shattered lives.[22][29]

References
  1. "Second Congo War – Attacks on other civilian populations – South Kivu". Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  2. Turner, Doctor Thomas (2010). The Congo Wars: Conflict, Myth and Reality. London, United Kingdom: Zed Books. ISBN 9781848135031.
  3. "Crimes rwandais en RDC : Martin Fayulu exige l'expulsion de l'ambassadeur du Rwanda". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  4. "RDC: 22 ans après le massacre, retour à Kasika où la blessure des charniers reste vive" [DRC: 22 years after the massacre, return to Kasika where the wound of the mass graves remains alive]. RFI (in French). 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  5. Massacre de Kasika (in French), August 28, 2020, retrieved 2023-06-19
  6. "First Congo War – Attacks against Hutu refugees". Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  7. Stapleton, Timothy J. (April 17, 2017). A History of Genocide in Africa. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 96. ISBN 9781440830525.
  8. Cooper, Tom (2013). Great Lakes Holocaust The First Congo War, 1996-1997. Warwick, United Kingdom: Helion. pp. 38–49. ISBN 9781909384651.
  9. Straus, Scott (March 15, 2015). Making and Unmaking Nations: War, Leadership, and Genocide in Modern Africa. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. pp. 103–106. ISBN 9780801455674.
  10. "Second Congo War – Attacks on other civilian populations – South Kivu". Mapping-report.org. 15 June 2009. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  11. Usanov, Artur; Ridder, Marjolein de; Auping, Willem; Lingemann, Stephanie; Espinoza, Luis Tercero; Ericsson, Magnus; Farooki, Masuma; Sievers, Henrike; Liedtke, Maren (2013-06-05). Coltan, Congo and Conflict. Hague, Netherlands: The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies. p. 36. ISBN 978-94-91040-81-8.
  12. Ngolet, François (2010-12-14). Crisis in the Congo: The Rise and Fall of Laurent Kabila. New York City, New York State, United States: Springer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-230-11625-2.
  13. Reyntjens, Filip (2009-08-24). The Great African War: Congo and Regional Geopolitics, 1996-2006. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-11128-7.
  14. Smith, James H. (2021-12-17). The Eyes of the World: Mining the Digital Age in the Eastern DR Congo. Chicago, Illinois, United States: University of Chicago Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-226-81605-0.
  15. Turner, Doctor Thomas (2010). The Congo Wars: Conflict, Myth and Reality (in French). London, United Kingdom: Zed Books. ISBN 9781848135031.
  16. Uhm, Daan van (2023-08-24). Organized Environmental Crime: Black Markets in Gold, Wildlife, and Timber. New York City, New York State, United States: Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-4408-7961-6.
  17. Lanotte, Olivier (2003). Guerres sans frontières en République démocratique du Congo (in French). Brussels, Belgium: Group for Research and Information on Peace and Security (GRIP). p. 121. ISBN 9782870278352.
  18. https://www.deseret.com/authors/associated-press (1999-01-06). "Rebel leader to probe Congo massacre report Missionary says troops tracked, killed victims". Deseret News. Retrieved 2023-06-20. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  19. Ngolet, François (December 14, 2010). Crisis in the Congo: The Rise and Fall of Laurent Kabila. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230116252.
  20. M. Ngemi, Yaa-Lengi (2000). Genocide in the Congo (Zaire): In the Name of Bill Clinton, and of the Paris Club, and of the Mining Conglomerates, So it Is!. New York City State, United States: Writers Club Press. ISBN 9780595139385.
  21. Turner, Thomas (April 2007). The Congo Wars: Conflict, Myth and Reality. London, England: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 94. ISBN 9781842776896.
  22. "Democratic Republic of Congo: War against unarmed civilians" (PDF). Amnesty International. November 23, 1998. pp. 13–15. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
  23. Djungu-Simba K, Charles (October 15, 2015). Entre cité et université: Hommage à Jean-Robert Kasele – 1er recteur de l'Université Pédagogique de Kinshasa (RDC) (in French). Paris, France: Éditions L'Harmattan. pp. 21–27. ISBN 9782336393353.
  24. "CASUALTIES OF WAR". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  25. "Second Congo War – Attacks on other civilian populations – South Kivu". Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  26. "CASUALTIES OF WAR". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  27. "Secretary-General condemns reported massacre in Democratic Republic of Congo – Democratic Republic of the Congo | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 1999-01-06. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  28. "CNN – Kabila returns to Kinshasa, predicts victory – August 25, 1998". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  29. "Two conflicts, One Village: The Case of Kasika". Peace Insight. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
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