On the night of August 13, 2004, armed assailants launched a brutal attack on the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi. Within hours, 166 civilians mostly Congolese Tutsi (Banyamulenge) were massacred, including women and children. More than 106 survivors were left with life-altering injuries, and entire families were torn apart.
The Gatumba camp, officially under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Burundian government, became a site of unspeakable horror. Victims were targeted solely because of their ethnicity.
Despite strong international condemnation, no credible judicial process has ever held the perpetrators accountable. A domestic case in Burundi, opened in 2013, stalled the following year and has remained dormant ever since.
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On August 13, 2025, Cradle for Human Rights and Peacebuilding (CHRP), led by its Founder and Executive Director Adv. Claude Gasita Mutorero, submitted a petition to the United Nations Security Council. The petition urges the Council to refer the Gatumba Massacre to the International Criminal Court (ICC) pursuant to Article 13(b) of the Rome Statute.
The massacre, as CHRP emphasizes, constitutes:
Genocide (Article 6, Rome Statute): Deliberate targeting of Banyamulenge civilians, with the intent to destroy the group in whole or in part. Crimes Against Humanity (Article 7, Rome Statute): Widespread and systematic killings, persecution, torture, and inhumane acts as part of a coordinated attack.
Why Referral to the ICC is Urgent
For 21 years, survivors and families of victims have waited in vain for justice. The continued impunity not only deepens the wounds of those affected but also fuels ongoing ethnic violence and instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the wider Great Lakes region.
A referral to the ICC would:
Reaffirm the United Nations’ commitment to justice and the protection of vulnerable populations. Deter future atrocities, sending a clear message that crimes of this nature will not go unpunished. Provide a pathway to accountability and healing for survivors and victims’ families.
A Moral and Legal Duty
The Gatumba Massacre remains a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked ethnic hatred. It is not only a Burundian tragedy or a Congolese tragedy it is a human tragedy.
As CHRP stresses in its petition:
“The blood of innocent victims and their tears flow with sorrow. They must not be buried in silence. Their cry echoes loudly, crying out for justice.”
Our Appeal
On behalf of Cradle for Human Rights and Peacebuilding (CHRP), we call upon the United Nations Security Council to:
- Recognize the Gatumba Massacre as a threat to international peace and security.
- Adopt a resolution under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
- Refer the situation in Burundi to the International Criminal Court (ICC) under Article 13(b) of the Rome Statute.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
After 21 years, the survivors of Gatumba and the families of those who perished deserve nothing less than truth, accountability, and justice.
Respectfully submitted,
Cradle for Human Rights and Peacebuilding (CHRP)
Adv. Claude Gasita Mutorero, Founder & Executive Director
