The victims of the Kiringye massacres in the province of South Kivu continue to hope for justice 25 years after this tragedy, which occurred in August 1998. On the occasion of the commemoration on Sunday, August 6, 2023, marking the 25th anniversary of these massacres, the victims have called for the establishment of a special criminal court for Congo.
On that day, Thursday, June 6, 1998, during this slaughter, about twenty civilians were killed by alleged elements of the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD-Goma). The commemorative ceremony of this sad anniversary was preceded by a requiem mass, led by Father Luc Lusambya Kamwanga, the parish priest of Saint Baganda in Kodoti.
In his homily, this servant of God invited the victims and all the residents to a spirit of forgiveness and to avoid resorting to vengeance. He also encouraged the population to pray for the perpetrators to one day repent. During this same service, victims who have called for the establishment of a “special criminal court for Congo” believe that it will be able to judge and punish the authors of these heinous massacres.
On Sunday, August 6, 2023, during the commemoration of this anniversary quarter, a monument in memory of the victims was unveiled to the public to immortalize the deceased. Speaking at this event, Deputy Claude Misare also took this opportunity to ask residents not to resort to violence in seeking justice. He reminded victims and all residents of the importance of understanding that violence is not a solution to community problems.
Soko Mayeye, one of the leaders who directed the Kakamba group in the Ruzizi plain, still remembers these sad events as if they happened recently. He testifies to having lost his village chief of Kiringye and several of his inhabitants during this slaughter, who were accused of disobedience by elements of the RCD, who left nothing in their wake.
Wendo Joés from Kamanyola
