Rwanda: Information on IBUKA, including the address of its office, procedures for affiliation, membership documents if any and their description; the treatment of its members by government authorities and by members of the Hutu ethnic group (1998-2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 24 January 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | RWA38082.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Rwanda: Information on IBUKA, including the address of its office, procedures for affiliation, membership documents if any and their description; the treatment of its members by government authorities and by members of the Hutu ethnic group (1998-2002), 24 January 2002, RWA38082.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4bea41c.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The following information was provided by the IBUKA executive secretary during a 8 January 2002 telephone interview. The interview was conducted in French:
[Translation]
IBUKA, which means, "remember," is a non-government association, founded on 14 December 1995. Its main mission is to preserve the memory of the genocide and to defend rights and interests of survivors.
The IBUKA secretary general's office is based in Quartier commercial, Secteur Nyarugenge, Commune Nyarugenge of the town of Kigali. The organization also has branch offices in all provinces, communes, districts and in all sectors of the country.
IBUKA comprises two kinds of membership: individuals and organizations. At present, membership includes thousands of individuals and 10 organizations. By definition, all survivors of the 1994 genocide are members. However, the IBUKA membership is also open to any person who did not participate in the genocide and who is convinced of the IBUKA mission. While many members are Tutsis, especially those who are survivors of 1994 genocide, IBUKA counts some members from the Hutu and the Twa ethnic groups.
IBUKA does not provide any documents to its members, as proof of their membership.
For information on the names of members of the executive committee, activities and names of associations that are members of IBUKA, please refer to its Website at
Describing the relationship between IBUKA and government authorities, the executive secretary declared that his group was not aware of any cases where there was a direct link between mistreatment of any person by government authorities on the mere fact that he or she was a member of IBUKA. The executive secretary also described the relations between IBUKA and members of the Hutu ethnic group as "normal."
According to the IBUKA executive secretary, the main problem faced by the survivors of genocide is that, sometimes, they have to live near those who have participated in the genocide who are returning from the prison or from the exile to the hills. Their fear is based on the fact that some of them are often subjected to pressures from corrupt judicial or administrative officials who do not want those who were involved in the genocide to be denounced.
According to two reports, Anastase Murumba and Joseph Kayijaho respectively former Secretary General and Vice-president of IBUKA left the country in 2000; Murumba had been publicly "berated by politicians close to the government" (HRW 2000; AFP 4 Apr. 2000).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 4 April 2000. Emmanuel Goujon. "Six Years After Genocide, Rwandan in Crisis Again."
Human Rights Watch (HRW). April 2000. Rwanda: The Search of Security and Human Rights Abuses.
IBUKA. 8 January 2002. Telephone interview with the Executive Secretary.
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral source: Collectif des ligues et organisations de défense des droits de l'homme (CLADHO).
Africa Confidential 1998-2001.
Africa Research Bulletin 1998-2001.
IRB Databases.
Jeune Afrique/L'intelligent. 1998 to present.
LEXIS/NEXIS.
Le nouvel Afrique-Asie 1998-2001.
Resource Centre country file. Rwanda.
Reyntjens F. et S. Marysse. 2000. L'Afrique des Grands lacs : annuaire 1999-2000. Paris : L'Harmattan.
Websites including:
Amnesty International Online.
BBC Africa.
Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Immigration & Naturalization Directorate (IND), UK.
International Crisis Group (ICG).
Observatoire de l'Afrique Centrale.
MISNA.
Office fédéral des réfugiés (ODR), Suisse.
Panafrican News Agency (PANA).
Reliefweb.
Le Soir.
