Fatshimetrie, August 2, 2024. The bloody history of the Makobola massacres, in the Fizi territory, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, continues to haunt memories and demand justice, five years after the tragic events.
Every year, as Genocost is commemorated, voices are raised to demand that those responsible for these atrocities be held accountable and that justice be rendered to the innocent victims. The Mwalo Asbl association, through its main facilitator, Mr. Samuel Mulumba, stressed the importance of continuing the fight for human rights and demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
The events of December 31, 1996, under the rule of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), remain etched in people’s minds, with hundreds of civilians massacred and burned alive in Makobola. These atrocities spread to other villages in Fizi territory, leaving behind a heavy toll of suffering and mourning.
This year, the commemoration of the massacres was marked by a symbolic wake, bringing together participants from diverse backgrounds. The aim was to pay tribute to those who disappeared and to continue to demand truth and justice.
Today, the need for transitional justice is felt more than ever, with calls for the establishment of an international criminal tribunal for the DRC to try the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. It is essential that the international community support these efforts to ensure that those responsible are held accountable before the law.
On this day of commemoration of the Makobola massacres, we remember the lives lost, the families shattered and the communities traumatized. May this collective memory serve as a reminder of the importance of justice, truth and reparation for the victims, so that such barbaric acts never happen again.