Lemera massacre

The Lemera massacre (French: Massacre de Lemera), also known as the Lemera Attack (French: Attaque de Lemera) or Lemera Battle (French: Bataille de Lemera), which occurred on October 6, 1996, was a massacre perpetrated by the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) at Lemera Hospital, a medical facility in the small town of Lemera, about 85 kilometers northwest of Uvira in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 37 individuals were killed, according to the United Nations Mapping Report.[1]

Lemera massacre
Part of the Kivu conflict
The Lemera Hospital, where the massacre took place
LocationLemera, Uvira Territory, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
DateOctober 6, 1996
Attack type
Massacre, ethnic cleansing, arson
Deaths37 Per UN Mapping Report
VictimsFuriiru people, FAZ soldiers and medical staffs
PerpetratorsAlliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL)

The AFDL's attack on the hospital caused far-reaching consequences for the healthcare system in the region. Lemera Hospital, one of the few medical facilities in the area, was left in ruins, depriving the community of much-needed healthcare services. In addition, the attack shattered the community's trust in their government's ability to provide security and left a deep scar on the collective psyche of the Congolese people.[2][3][4]

Background

The long-standing clashes between Banyamulenge and Zairean forces persisted throughout the 1980s but reached a boiling point in 1996 during the First Congo War.[5] The conflict was stoked by successive waves of arbitrary arrests and detentions of Tutsi civilians by Zairian police and soldiers.[6] At that time, Zaire was mired in extreme turmoil and widespread violence, firmly ensnared by the oppressive grip of the entrenched and autocratic dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko. Nonetheless, the AFDL, an insurgent group rooted in the eastern part of the country, was resolute in its mission to dismantle Mobutu's regime.[6][7] It emerged as a pivotal rebel faction, uniting with Laurent-Désiré Kabila's broad-based coalition to overthrow Mobutu, whose imperious and kleptocratic rule had plunged the nation into decades of chaos, underdevelopment, and economic stagnation. The AFDL was backed by Rwanda and Uganda, which had their own strategic economic interests in the region and a long history of involvement in the country's affairs and provided military and logistical support.[8][9][10][11] However, the campaign was charged with accusations of widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and brutal Assaults on civilians accused of supporting the former regime or providing sanctuary to Hutu refugees and ex-Interahamwe militants. The AFDL was also charged with targeting local chiefs and community leaders who opposed their military advance, a tactic aimed at weakening their support base and base and consolidating their authority.[12][9][13][14] Additionally, the AFDL allegedly engaged in large-scale smuggling of valuable resources, such as gold, diamonds, and coltan.[11][15][16]

Attack

The attack took place in Lemera Hospital. According to Amnesty International, the AFDL forces stormed the hospital, callously looting the hospital's medical supplies and equipments before unleashing a wave of violence against the defenseless patients. The attackers brutally killed those who were too weak or injured to flee, including two nurses, Kadaguza and Simbi, and an assistant nurse.[12] According to the DRC Mapping Report, a United Nations report into violent incidents occurring in the DRC between March 1993 and June 2003, approximately 37 individuals were killed in their beds, either by bullets or bayonets. Most of the victims were FAZ (Forces Armées Zaïroises) soldiers who had been wounded in fighting against AFDL and sought medical assistance at the hospital. The nurses, who had been providing life-saving care to the patients, were also targeted and killed in their quarters. The attack also claimed the lives of Zairean civilians who were in the vicinity of the hospital and were also brutally killed.[17][18][19][20]

Denis Mukwege, the Nobel Prize-winning obstetrician and gynecologist, as well as a renowned human rights activist, was serving as a medical director of the Lemera Hospital when AFDL forces devastated the institution. After the devastating loss, he took refuge in Nairobi before ultimately deciding to return to the DRC, where he became a powerful advocate for the oppressed and silenced communities.[21][22]

Aftermath

The massacre caused widespread outrage throughout the country, particularly among the Bafuliiru community, who continue to seek justice, reparations for victims, and institutional reform to this day.[23] Congolese human rights activists and organizations are lobbying for the country to adopt a comprehensive national strategy for transitional justice, a critical step towards guaranteeing lasting peace. Denis Mukwege, a key figure in these advocacy efforts, has been steadfast in his insistence that the recommendations of the United Nations Mapping Report be fully implemented so that the perpetrators should be held accountable for their actions. He has also called for the dignified exhumation of the bodies from the mass graves and the construction of a memorial to honor and remember the victims.[24][25][26][27]

See also

References

  1. "Attacks against other civilian populations – South Kivu". Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  2. "Digitalcongo.net | Massacres de Lemera, Kishishe, Makobola… : Mukwege ravive les souvenirs devant les étudiants de l'ISP Bukavu". www.digitalcongo.net. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  3. "Sud-Kivu – Massacre de Lemera : Denis Mukwege plaide pour la construction d'une sépulture « digne » en mémoire des victimes". www.mediacongo.net. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  4. "Bukavu : Dr Mukwege déplore les massacres de Maboya au Nord-Kivu". Radio Okapi (in French). 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  5. Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges (May 19–20, 2004). "The Politics of Citizenship in the DRC" (PDF). University of Edinburgh: Centre of African Studies. pp. 5–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  6. Ending the Indifference!: Sexual Violence During the 1993–2003 Armed Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burlington, Vermont: Rights & Democracy. 2011. p. 24-27. ISBN 9782923539461.
  7. Kisangani, Emizet F. (November 18, 2016). Historical Dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 66. ISBN 9781442273160.
  8. Arnold, Guy (September 15, 2009). The A to Z of Civil Wars in Africa. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. pp. 413–422. ISBN 9780810868854.
  9. Ngolet, F. (December 14, 2010). Crisis in the Congo: The Rise and Fall of Laurent Kabila. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9780230116252.
  10. Murphy, J. E. (2015). U.S. Made. Meadville, Pennsylvania: Christian Faith Publishing. ISBN 9781681970141.
  11. Epstein, Helen (2017). Another Fine Mess: America, Uganda, and the War on Terror. New York City: Columbia Global Reports. ISBN 9780997722925.
  12. "Zaire: Hidden from scrutiny: human rights abuses in eastern Zaire" (PDF). Amnesty International. 19 December 1996. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  13. Deibert, Michael (September 12, 2013). The Democratic Republic of Congo: Between Hope and Despair. London, United Kingdom: Zed Books. ISBN 9781780323480.
  14. Rever, Judi (February 18, 2020). In Praise of Blood: The Crimes of the Rwandan Patriotic Front. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Random House of Canada. ISBN 9780345812100.
  15. "Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of DR Congo – Democratic Republic of the Congo | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  16. Montague, Dena (2002). "Stolen Goods: Coltan and Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo". SAIS Review (1989–2003). 22 (1): 103–118. ISSN 1946-4444. JSTOR 26996391.
  17. "Attacks against other civilian populations – South Kivu". Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  18. "Sud-Kivu : 26 ans après les massacres de Lemera, Dénis Mukwege n'a pas oublié et exige justice". libregrandlac.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  19. "Massacre de Lemera, 24 ans déjà : Des dizaines de malades abattus dans un hôpital, certains par un coup de pistolet dans la bouche". Actualite.cd (in French). 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  20. administrateur. "Massacre de Lemera : Qu'est ce qui s'est passé le 06 octobre 1996 ? – PROVINCES 26 RDC.net::: site d'information" (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  21. "Sud-Kivu : 26 ans après les massacres de Lemera, Dénis Mukwege n'a pas oublié et exige justice". libregrandlac.com. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  22. Mukwege, Dr Denis (2019-10-06). ""Massacre de Lemera, le 6 octobre 1996, je me souviens..."". hopitaldepanzi (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  23. LEMERA Mémorial des massacres de KIDOTE, retrieved 2023-05-17
  24. Rédaction. "RDC : Massacre de Lemera : rescapé, le Dr Denis Mukwege demande que les auteurs soient jugés". Debout RDC. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  25. "https://twitter.com/DenisMukwege/status/1577948277345030146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1577948277345030146%7Ctwgr%5E4a49268bede2be136566b9912df2bc438fcc4939%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https://www.deboutrdc.net/2022/rdc-massacre-de-lemera-rescape-le-dr-denis-mukwege-demande-que-les-auteurs-soient-juges/". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-05-15. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  26. "Digitalcongo.net | Massacres de Lemera, Kishishe, Makobola… : Mukwege ravive les souvenirs devant les étudiants de l'ISP Bukavu". www.digitalcongo.net. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  27. Massacre de Lemera – 6 octobre 1996 – Le Docteur Mukwege se souvient, retrieved 2023-05-17

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