Makobola massacre

Makobola massacre
Part of Kivu conflict
LocationMakobola, Fizi Territory, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
DateDecember 30, 1998 – January 2, 1999
Attack type
Massacre, ethnic cleansing, arson, sexual violence
Deaths800 civilians killed per UN Mapping Report
VictimBembe people
PerpetratorsRally for Congolese Democracy (RCD)
MotiveAllegations that the local population had provided support to the Mai Mai rebels and the government of Laurent-Désiré Kabila.

The Makobola massacre (French: Massacre de Makobola) occurred from December 30, 1998, to January 2, 1999, in the small village of Makobola, located approximately 15 kilometers south of Uvira, on the border between Fizi Territory and Uvira Territory in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Rally for Congolese Democracy (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie; RCD), a predominantly Tutsi Rwandan-backed armed group led by Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, killed over 800 civilians, largely belonging to the Babembe community.[1][2][3][4]

The Makobola massacre is a somber chapter in the DRC. It stands as a sobering reminder of the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for swift action to address the underlying issues plaguing the eastern region of the DRC. The families of the victims continue to seek justice and accountability.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ "Sud-Kivu : 21 ans après les massacres de Makobola, les familles des victimes réclament justice". Radio Okapi (in French). December 30, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  2. ^ Mugisho, Patrick Nshombo (April 26, 2021). "Rethinking Social Justice to Restore Forgotten Memories: A step towards reconciliation and peace in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); The cases of Kasika and Makobola". Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. Boston, Massachusetts. pp. 33–38. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  3. ^ "Deuxième Guerre – Attaques contre les autres populations civiles – Sud-Kivu". Mapping Report (in French). May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "Democratic Republic of Congo: Massive violations kill human decency" (PDF). Amnesty International. May 31, 2000. pp. 2–3. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  5. ^ "Makobola, D.R. Congo – International Cities of Peace". Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  6. ^ AfricaNews (December 31, 2020). "Survivours still seek justice 22 years after DR Congos's Makobola massacre". Africanews. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  7. ^ lindaespenshade (April 7, 2021). "'I was prepared to lose my own life'". Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Retrieved May 12, 2023.