The Congo River Alliance (AFC) on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, commemorated the 21st anniversary of the Gatumba massacre, in which scores of Banyamulenge civilians were brutally killed in Burundi on August 13, 2004.
Ceremonies were held across all AFC-liberated zones, with the central message ringing loud and clear: “Never again.”
In Goma, AFC Coordinator Corneille Nangaa and his deputy, Bertrand Bisimwa, led solemn tributes alongside local leaders and community members. In Bukavu, the event was presided over by AFC Spokesperson and Head of Communication, Lawrence Kanyuka, who was joined by South Kivu Governor Patrick Busu Bwangwi Nshombo.
Addressing the gathering in Goma, Nangaa outlined the Alliance’s five key objectives, national cohesion, peaceful coexistence, building a strong state, total liberation of the DRC, and sustainable development.
“I urge you to remain united, overcome fear, and reject all forms of stigmatization or discrimination,” he said. “You are Congolese, you have always been, and you will remain so. Let us promote the unity of the Congo in its diversity.”
Deputy Coordinator Bisimwa emphasized that justice for the victims remains a moral imperative.
“This was a targeted and orchestrated extermination,” he said. “We are not seeking revenge, but we demand justice.”
In Bukavu, Spokesperson Kanyuka reinforced AFC’s stance against ethnic violence.
“The perpetrators of this genocide must be brought to justice,” he declared. “The DRC must be freed from hate speech, discrimination, exclusion, and all anti-values.”
For the AFC, the commemoration was not only a tribute to the victims of Gatumba but also a renewed commitment to building a peaceful, united, and inclusive Congo, one where the horrors of 2004 will never be repeated.
