Two Rwandan Refugee women burnt deliberately by Rwandan Army in Munzenze main Prison in Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo because they were accused of being FDLR yet they were recognized refugees and even UNHCR failed to advocate for them. At the same time many other women were raped in Prison by M23 before setting fire on it.

These two Rwandan refugee women were first of all intellectual, they were vocal and active among refugees in order to inform and guide them on various issues. They were not able to organize public meetings in groups but they were active in their communities and could meet each person separately and share information with them. Refugees who were in contact with had a different way of understanding their situation and could not be manipulated.

Yet exactly these are the types of persons Rwanda does not want to see among refugees, for Rwanda each Hutu refugee living in DRCongo and unwilling to return back to Rwanda is necessary FDLR, any refugee that argues that he/she may not be safe in Rwanda is considered as FDLR, each intellectual among refugees is considered as FDLR and should be eliminated. Over the years these women lived in Goma in clandestinely and if they were FDLR they would have joined others, but they lived a very difficult live to the point that they failed even to leave Goma because their movements were monitored by Rwanda Security Services.

The detention of these two refugee women  

Two Rwandan refugee women (we do not want to disclose their names because of the security risks of their relatives) were detained in Munzenze the main Prison in Goma for more than two years now, until when Goma was captured by M23 backed by Rwanda recently. There were many Rwandan refugees in this prison but these two women were unique and were highly wanted by Rwanda over the years. Rwanda believed that these two women were strong and powerful members of FDLR fighters, and according to these women, Rwanda hunted them for long but managed to survive anyway.  

In the past years Rwanda tried to abduct them in order to deport them secretly but the plan failed, in the process Rwanda attempted to assassinate them physically in Goma but also failed especially in 2021 and 2022. Through its network in Goma, Rwanda then managed to influence some Congolese Army Officers who created fabricated charges against these two refugees women, they were then arrested in 2023 by DRC Security Services and were put in main Prison called Munzenze as they waited for favorable moment to deport them to Rwanda but the plan was not achieved as many Army officers were transferred. Still they were not released and there were no charges against them despite our interventions.

Burning Munzenze Prison women’s wing

On that fateful day after M23 backed by Rwanda had captured Goma then they came and attacked the main prison, they first went to women’s wing, they entered inside and asked for these two women but others refused to disclose these two women, M23 intimidated them but the women kept silent. After the M23 moved out, locked the prison and set it on fire which consumed more than 300 women together with their children. These two Rwanda refugee women also died according to information we have received. Efforts by men prisoners who came to open the door did not help so much. Many other women were raped from the prison before they were burnt and unfortunately up to now, the Red Cross has not managed to reach Munzenze in order toi collect the dead bodies and bury them, bodies are decomposed now and highly affecting people around the prison with smell.

The protection of Rwandan refugees in Goma in particular and in North Kivu in general is one among the biggest challenges we are facing because both UNHCR and CNR are highly close to Rwanda.

We are very affected by this development and really concerned about the situation of Rwandan refugees especially at this moment when they are under M23 backed by Rwanda.

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