Sikariyo, Ahikura

Sikariyo, Ahikura

Ahikura Sikariyo

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Interviewee Age

Born in 1958

Interviewee Gender

Male

Interviewee Ethnicity

Hutu

Interviewee Level of Education in 1972

5th year

Geographical Location(s) during the genocide

Cendajuru Village, the commune was Vumbi, Kirundo arrondissement, the province was Muyinga

Current Geographical Location

Cendajuru Village, the commune is Vumbi, the province Kirundo

Interview Date

2-25-2022

Interviewer Name

Philippe Mukamarakiza

Summary of Oral History

Ahikura Sikariyo was born in 1958 in Cendajuru village, Vumbi commune in Kirundo province. He dropped out of school in 1972 when the tragedy came out; he was in fifth grade. At that time tutsis rounded up any hutu who was intelligent, school educated or wise; they didn’t take simple person or stupid they took important person. During the tragedy, he lost three relatives: his uncle Ntavyo Martin who raised them after their father’s death, his brother Longin Nahimana who taught at Muyange in Gashoho, he was killed when he had not got even his first salary; her sister Merida Singirankabo who was studying at Muramvya. There are also neighbors killed like Oscar’s  father, Rwabaye who was closest friend of Ntavyo; and others.

He told us about some of the people who were involved in that massacre, like Mpagaceri. He was counselor and local leader, after killing his uncle Martin Ntavyo and looting his possessions, he came back to propose marriage to that widow, so he returned back some of things they had looted like cows and other tools but not all; that marriage got a week's duration. His sister Merida Singirankabo who was at school when the tragedy started didn’t return back. She disappeared there, they didn’t know how she was killed. Gahima was the administrator who was involved in that killing. He drove the car and with a policeman, Miburo, they embarked Hutus in his car and took them away.

To take away those Hutus, they used false accusations that they had got money to exterminate tutsis, they also said that they wanted to fight against Mulele, people who were said to have invaded Burundi country, after that they changed and began to call Hutus Mulele, so they killed them continuously. The interviewee said how they survived in very bad conditions, they were desperate, orphans, they dropped out of schools, whereas they had a good life before that tragedy. He said that only Hutus were targeted and that he never saw any Tutsi taken away.

Named Persons

Ntavyo Martin: his uncle who was killed, he was the one who raised them and helped his family to live after his father’s death, -Kanani: his father, -Longin Nahimana: his brother killed in 1972 tragedy when he hadn’t got his first salary, he was teacher, -Merida Singirankabo: his sister who disappeared in 1972 tragedy when she was studying at Muramvya school, -Gishabure: his grandfather, father of Kanani and Ntavyo, -Musamakare: his great father, father of Gishabure, -Miburo: a policeman who was involved in 1972 murder - he took Hutus of Cendajuru, -Mpagaceri: a Tutsi who was counsellor, he was mostly involved in 1972 massacre - he was one of tutsis who mistreated Hutus and beat them and he tried to be the second husband of Ntavyo’s wife after his death, -Rwabaye: Poor Hutu was killed because he was Ntavyo's closest friend.

Named Places

Muyange: the place where there was elementary school and where the interviewee studied, -Rusengo: where there was another school pupils studied there in 1972, -Murehe, Bishisha: where they went to hunt mulele ( the so called invaders) and clear fields just after the 1972 tragedy.

Length of Oral History

00:39:37

Language(s) of Oral History

Kirundi

Language(s) of Transcripts

Kirundi, English

Translator for Transcripts

Pasteur Niyomwungere

Field Folder Number

18

Rights

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Download Ahikura Sikariyo. - Oral History Transcript and Translation (Kirundi and English).pdf (168 KB)

Sikariyo, Ahikura

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