Lemera massacre

Last updated
Lemera massacre
Part of the Kivu conflict
L'Hopital General de Reference de Lemera, Sud-Kivu.jpg
The Lemera Hospital, where the massacre took place
Location Lemera, Uvira Territory, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
DateOctober 6, 1996
Attack type
 Massacre, ethnic cleansing, arson
Deaths37 Per UN Mapping Report
Victims Furiiru people, FAZ soldiers and medical staffs
Perpetrators Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL)

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] [2]

Contents

The attack is often recognized as "the first major crime" of the First Congo War. [3] The massacre left the hospital in ruins and caused widespread shock and outrage in the local and international community. [4] [5] [6] On October 6, 2022, Dr. Denis Mukwege appealed for the construction of "dignified" graves for the bodies discarded in mass graves to be exhumed and laid in a memorialized burial. [7] [8]

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. [9] The conflict was stoked by successive waves of arbitrary arrests and detentions of Tutsi civilians by Zairian police and soldiers. [10] 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. The AFDL, an insurgent group rooted in the eastern part of the country, was resolute in its mission to dismantle Mobutu's regime. [10] [11] 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. [12] [13] [14] [15]

The AFDL's campaign was charged with widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and brutal assaults on Zairean civilians. AFDL were 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. [16] [13] [17] [18] [19] [20]

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. [16] According to the DRC Mapping Report, approximately 37 people 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. [1] [21] [22] [23]

Denis Mukwege was serving as a medical director when AFDL forces attacked the hospital. He took refuge in Nairobi before ultimately returning to the DRC, where he became a powerful advocate for the oppressed and silenced communities. [21] [24] [25]

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. [26] [27] 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. [28] [29] [4] [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Kivu</span> Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

South Kivu is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Its capital is Bukavu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AFDL</span> Anti-Mobutu military coalition (1996–1997)

The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire, also known by the French acronym AFDL, was a coalition of Rwandan, Ugandan, Burundian, and Congolese dissidents, disgruntled minority groups, and nations that toppled Mobutu Sese Seko and brought Laurent-Désiré Kabila to power in the First Congo War. Although the group was successful in overthrowing Mobutu, the alliance fell apart after Kabila did not agree to be dictated by his foreign backers, Rwanda and Uganda, which marked the beginning of the Second Congo War in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Mukwege</span> Congolese gynecologist and Nobel laureate (born 1955)

Denis Mukwege is a Congolese gynecologist and Pentecostal pastor. He founded and works in Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, where he specializes in the treatment of women who have been raped by armed rebels. In 2018, Mukwege and Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist Nadia Murad were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minembwe</span> Village in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Minembwe is a cluster of several villages located in the highlands of the Lulenge, within the Fizi Territory of South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is situated at an altitude of about 2,500 meters above sea level, in a hilly and mountainous region covered with forests, which provides fertile land for agriculture. It is approximately 150 kilometers south of Bukavu, the capital city of South Kivu. The region is also home to various streams and rivers that flow into Lake Tanganyika, the second-deepest lake in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uvira Territory</span> Territory in South Kivu, DR Congo

Uvira Territory is a territory in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is bordered by Walungu Territory to the north, Mwenga Territory to the west, Fizi Territory to the south, and Burundi and Lake Tanganyika to the east. Its capital is Uvira.

Justin Bitakwira Bihona-Hayi is a Congolese politician and a member of the National Assembly. He is the founder of the Alliance pour la République et la Conscience Nationale political party (ARCN) and a member of the Union for the Congolese Nation. He has been affiliated with several political parties, including the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD). He held various government positions, including Minister of Rural Development, Minister of Communication and Media and Minister of Relations with Parliament. As a minister, his political principles were described as nationalist, populist, opportunist, reformist, tribalist, and protectionist.

The Kipupu massacre occurred on 16 July 2020 in the South Kivu village of Kipupu in the Mwenga Territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Gunmen belonging to the Ngumino and Twiganeho militias of the Banyamulenge community attacked the village and reportedly killed 220 people according to provincial lawmakers, while independent analysts state only 18 people were killed.

Events in the year 2021 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Lemera is one of the groupements (groupings) within the Bafuliiru Chiefdom, located in the Uvira Territory of the South Kivu Province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is situated in the northwestern part of the Uvira Territory, approximately 60 kilometers north of Bukavu and 90 kilometers southwest of the border with Rwanda and Burundi. Lemera is in close proximity to several villages, including Kasheke, Nyambasha, Luzira, Lukayo, Kajuju, Lushasha, and Ihusi.

The Kishishe massacre occurred from November 29 to December 1, 2022, in the North Kivu village of Kishishe in the Rutshuru Territory in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The March 23 Movement, a predominantly Tutsi armed group, summarily killed at least 131 civilians in Kishishe following clashes with local militias, according to a preliminary United Nations investigation. At the same time, the Kinshasa authorities had previously reported approximately 300 fatalities. The attack also resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people who were forced to flee to other locations such as Kanyabayonga, Kibirizi, Kashala, Kirima, Nyanzale, Kashalira, Bambu, and Kitchanga. Some victims also sought refuge in neighboring countries due to the ongoing violence and instability in the region.

Kinyandonyi is a village in the Rutshuru Territory of the North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinyandonyi is situated 10 km east of the city of Kiwanja in Bukoma groupement, in the Bwisha Chiefdom and 85 km north of the capital of the province Goma. The region is inhabited by the Hunde people as well as some remaining autochthonous populations of African Pygmies, including the Twa people and the Mbuti people. In addition to the Hunde, Twa, and Mbuti, there are other ethnic groups, including the Nyanga, Lega, Kumu, Hutu and Tutsi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katogota</span> Village in the DRC

Katogota is a village located in the Itara-Luvungi grouping within the Bafuliiru Chiefdom in Uvira Territory of the South Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Situated approximately 60 km south of Bukavu, Katogota is in close proximity to the Kamonyi and Rusagara villages, near the border regions of Rwanda and Burundi.

Bwegera is a village in the Bafuliiru Chiefdom in the Uvira Territory of South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bwegera has an elevation of 952 meters and is situated in the vicinity of the Kakamba and Nyaruhuhuma villages. The region It's crossed by Lake Tanganyika, providing a vital source of water and transportation for the local inhabitants. Bwegera is rich in building materials such as rubble, sand, and baked bricks, making it an ideal location for construction and development. The region also encompasses a vast rural area where agriculture, animal breeding, and fishing are the primary means of livelihood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mutambala</span> Sector in the DRC

Mutambala is a sector that constitutes one of the four sectors in the Fizi Territory of the South Kivu Province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mutambala is situated near Lake Tanganyika, in the west by the Lulenge sector, in the north by the Tangani'a sector, and in the south by the Ngandja sector. It has a surface area of 777 km 2. The sector consists of five groupings (groupements), including the Basimukindja groupings, the Batombwe groupings, and the Babwari groupings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilungutwe village</span> Village in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kilungutwe is a small village in the Luindi Chiefdom, located in the valley of the Kilungutwe River in the Mwenga Territory of the South Kivu Province. Situated in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Kilungutwe is positioned nearby neighboring villages of Kirukungutu and Chowe. The region is a melting pot for many ethnic groups, boasting a diverse ethnocultural landscape. It is also a point of confluence for numerous ethnic groups, including the Lega, Nyindu, Shi, Fuliiru, Holoholo, Bwari, Vira, Hunde, Nyanga, Bembe, and Amba people.

The Makobola massacre occurred from December 30, 1998, to January 2, 1999, in the small village of Makobola, located approximately 15 kilometers south of Uvira, on the border between Fizi Territory and Uvira Territory in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Rally for Congolese Democracy, a predominantly Tutsi Rwandan-backed armed group led by Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, killed over 800 civilians, largely belonging to the Babembe community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemera Hospital</span> Hospital in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Lemera Hospital, colloquially known as Hopital Genera de Lemera or Hôpital Général de Référence de Lemera, is a medical institution located in Lemera, situated approximately 85 kilometers northwest of Uvira within the Uvira Territory of the South Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kiringye is a village situated in the Lemera groupement within the Bafuliiru Chiefdom, which is part of Uvira Territory in the South Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The village is located at an elevation of 928 meters and is in close proximity to the localities of Luburule and Karenzu.

The Kasika massacre took place on August 24, 1998, in the villages of Kasika, Kilungutwe, Kalama, and Zokwe, located in the Luindi Chiefdom of the Mwenga Territory in the South Kivu Province, situated in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Troops from the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) and Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), primarily composed of Tutsi armed forces, killed over 1,000 civilians, predominantly belonging to the Nyindu community.

The Bafuliiru Chiefdom, formerly known as Chefferie des Bafulero, is a chiefdom located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is situated in the Uvira Territory, which is part of the South Kivu Province in eastern DRC.

References

  1. 1 2 "Attacks against other civilian populations – South Kivu" . Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  2. ↑ "Attacks against other civilian populations - South Kivu" . Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  3. ↑ Rolley, Sonia (2016-10-06). "Reportage Afrique - RDC: le douloureux souvenir du massacre de Lemera" [DRC: the painful memory of the Lemera massacre]. RFI (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  4. 1 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.
  5. ↑ "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.
  6. ↑ "Bukavu : Dr Mukwege déplore les massacres de Maboya au Nord-Kivu". Radio Okapi (in French). 2022-10-24. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  7. ↑ Kalu, Chris (October 6, 2022). "Sud-Kivu – Massacre de Lemera: Denis Mukwege plaide pour la construction d'une sépulture " digne " en mémoire des victimes" [South Kivu – Lemera massacre: Denis Mukwege pleads for the construction of a "dignified" grave in memory of the victims]. www.mediacongo.net (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  8. ↑ "Massacres de Lemera : 26 ans après, Denis Mukwege veut un mémorial digne pour les victimes". Opinion Info (in French). October 6, 2022. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. 1 2 Ending the Indifference!: Sexual Violence During the 1993–2003 Armed Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burlington, Vermont: Rights & Democracy. 2011. pp. 24–27. ISBN   9782923539461.
  11. ↑ Kisangani, Emizet F. (November 18, 2016). Historical Dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 66. ISBN   9781442273160.
  12. ↑ Arnold, Guy (September 15, 2009). The A to Z of Civil Wars in Africa. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. pp. 413–422. ISBN   9780810868854.
  13. 1 2 Ngolet, F. (December 14, 2010). Crisis in the Congo: The Rise and Fall of Laurent Kabila. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN   9780230116252.
  14. ↑ Murphy, J. E. (2015). U.S. Made. Meadville, Pennsylvania: Christian Faith Publishing. ISBN   9781681970141.
  15. ↑ Epstein, Helen (2017). Another Fine Mess: America, Uganda, and the War on Terror. New York City: Columbia Global Reports. ISBN   9780997722925.
  16. 1 2 "Zaire: Hidden from scrutiny: human rights abuses in eastern Zaire" (PDF). Amnesty International. 19 December 1996. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  17. ↑ Deibert, Michael (September 12, 2013). The Democratic Republic of Congo: Between Hope and Despair. London, United Kingdom: Zed Books. ISBN   9781780323480.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ "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.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. 1 2 "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. ↑ "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.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ Mukwege, Dr Denis (2019-10-06). ""Massacre de Lemera, le 6 octobre 1996, je me souviens..."". hopitaldepanzi (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  25. ↑ Malik, Nesrine (2021-11-06). "'I can't explain how I am still alive': Dr Denis Mukwege on risking his life to save African women". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  26. ↑ "Massacre de Lemera, 24 ans déjà : Des dizaines de malades abattus dans un hôpital, certains par un coup de pistolet dans la bouche" [Lemera massacre, 24 years already: Dozens of patients shot dead in a hospital, some by a pistol shot in the mouth]. Actualite.cd (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2023-12-09.
  27. ↑ LEMERA Mémorial des massacres de KIDOTE , retrieved 2023-05-17
  28. ↑ Rédaction. "RDC : Massacre de Lemera : rescapé, le Dr Denis Mukwege demande que les auteurs soient jugés". Debout RDC. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  29. ↑ "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)
  30. ↑ Massacre de Lemera – 6 octobre 1996 – Le Docteur Mukwege se souvient , retrieved 2023-05-17

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.