Who are the Banyamulenge
It is in the interest of all of God's people worldwide to unite with the Banyamulenge people, who are being oppressed and massacred inside their own homes. We must take a stand united in prayer and support with them in their outcry for human rights, protection, and freedom, oppression, and genocide.
The current government has not only failed to protect innocent Banyamulenge civilians as the DRC constitution entails, but continually inflicts state or state-supported violence, terror, and killings upon them. Hundreds of Banyamulenge villages are being burned down, and their cows and belongings looted and killed. Although thousands of Banyamulenge have been killed since 1960 by various anti-Banyamulenge radical armed groups joined by the DRC government, it is notable that words such as crisis and genocide only get used when the DRC government favored ethnic groups are the target of such crisis or genocide. For example, in 2004, the Banyamulenge people were attacked and killed while seeking refuge in a United Nations refugee camp, resulting in the death of 166 innocent Banyamulenge refugees, many of the victims were women and children.
From May 4th, 2019 to the present day, several attacks on various Banyamulenge villages have left more than 200 innocent Banyamulenge civilians dead, 150,000 homeless, 40,000 houses incinerated, and 40,000 herds of cattle looted by the attackers. Despite multiple reports of these incidents by local officials to higher-up DRC government officials, the DRC government has turned deaf ear to these outcries. Inaction by the DRC government can only indicate collusion in a protracted plan to bring Banyamulenge to extinction. Needless to say that all villages attacked since May are between 0-6 kilometers away from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (AFDRC) military deployments.
Between 7-9 September 2019, the DRC government forces joined Mai-Mai fighters and RED-Tabara Burundian rebels to attack Banyamulenge villages. Under the command of Mai-Mai- Ebuela, Banyamulenge in the Tulambo villages were attacked, innocent people were killed, and houses were burned down. During this attack, the civilians were able to identify some AFDRC officers who were fighting alongside Mai-Mai groups. It came as a shock to civilians who expected protection from their DRC defense forces only to see these ones teaming up with their (Banyamulenge) killers.
On October 3rd, 2019, under the command of Lt., Col Hassan a member of AFDRC opened fire on unarmed and vulnerable Banyamulenge civilians who were fleeing from Mai-Mai attackers. Rutiririza Bibogo was killed instantly, and several others were wounded. Surprisingly, Lt. Col Hassan has neither been charged nor reprimanded for his crimes to this day, it is nothing short of evidence of the DRC government’s protracted plan to bring Banyamulenge to extinction. On the same day, Mai-Mai fighters attacked the Itara village and Banyamulenge herdsmen from this village fled towards AFDRC headquarters hoping to get protection. Surprisingly, government soldiers arrested and mercilessly beat up these innocent Banyamulenge civilians. Thereafter, AFDRC handed thousands of Banyamulenge cows over to Mai-Mai.
On October 9th, 2019, AFDRC provided Mai -Mai fighters with green light and guidance to attack a Banyamulenge village known as Kabara. Before the attack, Banyamulenge civilians from this village had reported the potential attack to the government forces hoping these could intervene to stop the attack but AFDRC said they had no order from their superiors to intervene for the protection of the village. The Mai-Mai attackers proceeded with their plans, burned Kabara village down, and killed a Munyamulenge Pastor by the name of Samson while thousands found refuge in the wood.
Fr. Jean Gisore and the Christ Rois /Muhumba Anglican congregation are at the forefront of this battle. Most of the members of the congregation are women and children directly affected by this ongoing genocidal attack on the Banyamulenge people. Providing spiritual support, food, and teaching them valuable skills to be able to support themselves and their families.
