Commemorating the 28th assassination of the first Refugee Advocate in DRCongo
Commemorating the assassination for Archbishop Christophe Muzihirwa of Bukavu, the first advocate for refugee rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The activities took place at Shabaa Catholic Parish in Goma during a Holy Mass on Sunday 3rd, 2024.
Group photo during the commemorative activities on Sunday November 3rd, 2024 at Shabaa Parish Goma, North Kivu
In his letter of 1995 addressed to various stakeholders in the world mainly the United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union but also powerful religious Leaders in the world, Archbishop Christopher Muzihirwa proposed some solutions to the refugee disaster in the DRC, as you may recall, in 1994 DRC by then Zaire received millions of refugees from Rwanda which the number was believed to be around 4million who ran away from the Genocide in Rwanda, more refugees also ran away from Burundi in 1990 and were hosted in DRC, but also thousands of others who have been in the country over the years. The Archdiocese of Bukavu was particular hit by the influx of refugees and hosted almost 85% of the entire refugee population in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and on this even up not much has changed up to now.
As the Archbishop Christophe Muzihirwa faced this disaster and wondered what should be done, this how in 1995 he proposed the lasting solution of a Dialogue in Rwanda in order to solve the problem but also urgent humanitarian relief to all those in difficult situation in the camps and who lacked almost everything. These two solutions were not appreciated by various stakeholders especially those who had power and who believed that the lasting solution is to massacre all refugees in DRC. On these two solutions we have also added two more mainly the promotion of local integration and resettlement to a third country and the refugee development in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Muzihirwa relief activities to help refugees in Kivu
Christophe Muzihirwa mobilized all the Christians to contribute regularly all what they can in order to help refugees and people donated all they could which promoted a local response towards refugees in Kivu. With the current situation of war it may be a challenge to mobilize Christians to help refugees when IDPs are also in the similar situations.
During the testimonies one person indicated: One day we celebrated the Archdiocese day in Bukavu, and after the Mass we were told to go to the Hall for eating and drinking, so we waited for the Archbishop to come and open the event, as he entered, he stared his speech which focused on thanking all those who contributed the food and the drinks, then he ordered that all the food should be taken to camps to help refugees as he said “ my brothers and sisters, I know you are hungry because you have been here since morning, I guess most of you took something in the morning before you came, and I also believe most of you are sure of eating food in this evening as you reach home, so I call upon you to agree with me to take this food to refugees, especially those who have not yet eaten since yesterday and who are not sure of getting their food today and even tomorrow”. So we packed the food it was taken to refugees in camps around Bukavu.
On his day when he was assassinated on that very Tuesday October 1996, Muzira came from some Parishes to ensure that refugees who were hiding in those Parishes were safe, as he moved closer to the Cathedral, he met Rwandan Soldiers on the way, they stopped him, and after some minutes of exchange they were then instructed to kill him. This place remains a memorial place up today in Bukavu, South Kivu.
Activities in Goma on November 3rd, 2024
Posing for a photo
The Diocese of Goma proposed that all activities during the week be taken to Sunday that is how the Mass which was to take place on October 29th was finally arranged on Sunday. The whole Sunday November 3rd, Christians from Of Emmanuel Shaba Parish in Goma were introduced to the life of Christopher Muzihirwa and the attention of the Commemoration focused mostly on prayers for his beatification and November 8th, 2024 was announced as a day of sharing ideas on how best we can promote the values of Christopher Muzihirwa.
Our Participation
During the get together after the Mass, we engaged the audience about the work of Christophe Muzihirwa in the struggle for the well-being of refugees, we then presented that after his death almost nothing still exist in what we shed his life for, and no one in the Catholic is really involved in the protection of refugees, even the church does not have a clear evangelization programme towards refugees. More ideas will be shared on how best we can vivify his work towards refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In order to ensure that such part of history is not lost, we intend to start a refugee center which we shall the name of Christophe Muzihirwa Refugee Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
