CVR discovers over 250 human remains in northern Bujumbura within one month

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has exhumed between 250 and 270 human remains that were buried in a mass grave located in Kamenge neighborhood in the north the Economic Capital Bujumbura within one month.

Human remains and materials exhumed from Kamenge mass grave

“We also discovered human remains and other personal materials such as clothes, watches, identity cards even though they are no longer legible,” announced Clément Noé Ninziza, the deputy chairman of CVR on January 13 in an open house activity organized on 13 January in Kamenge site.

He said that the people thrown into this mass grave were killed between 1993 and 1995. “The human remains and the materials exhumed from this place prove that people were buried quickly and hastily after being killed,” he adds.

He, however, admits that there are some people buried in this place when they died a natural death. “The crisis that prevailed in Bujumbura did not allow people to bury theirs in official cemeteries,” Ninziza explained.

He also says all human remains and personal materials discovered will be perfectly preserved in a container before CVR commissioners in consultation with the administrative authorities and local populations decide to bury them with dignity. He did not specify how CVR will distinguish the people killed during the crisis and those who died a natural death.

Ninziza explained that CVR has started since 16 December the process of exhuming the remains of people thrown in that mass grave of Kamenge. after the owners of the plot informed the commission about the existence of the mass grave in the locality.

“When they began to excavate this place to establish infrastructures, they discovered human bones. After talking to the administrative authorities, Kamenge residents and representatives of some victims who could tell us under what circumstances these people were allegedly killed, CVR carried out this exhumation activity,” says Ninziza.

The national commission CVR is responsible for investigating and establishing the truth about the serious human rights violations and international humanitarian law violations committed during the period between 26 February, 1885 and 4 December, 2008.