Nindamutsa, Gertrude
Summary of Oral History
Gertrude narrates her experiences during the tragic events of 1972 and life afterwards in Burundi. At the age of 18, Gertrude got married and soon after had a child. On the same day as her child's birth, turmoil erupted in the community, leading to extensive fear and people fleeing their homes. Despite the mayhem, the speaker's husband returned shortly before being taken away and never seen again. This marked the beginning of profound distress for the interviewee, who was left alone with a newborn during their postpartum recovery.
Later on, Gertrude remarried but shockingly lost her second husband in 1973 during the continuing unrest. The interviewee became a widow twice due to the violence that swept through her region. Throughout these hardships, Gertrude depended on the support of her in-laws to help raise her children. In her testimony she also touches upon the origins of the tragedy, accredited to tensions among Hutu residents in the Imbo region who were allegedly planning to buy an airplane. This plan did not succeed, leading to violence that targeted both Tutsis and Hutus indiscriminately, with countless massacres reported.