Bazompora, Yohani

Bazompora, Yohani

Yohani Bazompora

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Interviewee Age

Born in 1953

Interviewee Gender

Male

Interviewee Ethnicity

Hutu

Interviewee Level of Education in 1972

8th grade

Geographical Location(s) during the genocide

Karamagi village, Kirundo commune and arrondissement, Muyinga province

Current Geographical Location

Karamagi village, Kirundo commune and province.

Interview Date

3-25-2022

Interviewer Name

Philippe Mukamarakiza

Summary of Oral History

John Bazompora was born in 1953 in Karamagi village, Kirundo commune and province. In 1972, he was a student in 8th grade. He witnessed the arrests of his father and brother, who were taken away and he never saw them again. According to Yohani Bazompora, he said that what happened in 1972 began even before 1965. In 1965 Rwandan Tutsis fled to Burundi, they advised Burundi Tutsis to get rid of Hutus so that they shouldn’t undergo the same problem as Rwandans because they said they were persecuted by Hutus. From that period Tutsis began to persecute Hutus and then killed them. He was 12 years old, he witnessed Tutsis coming into their house, they beat him severely and still now he feels shock. They beat his father until they broke his eyes and finally they brought him to jail. When they came home, they obliged him to redig a pit which had been found after making bricks used to construct a house. They asked him to pull out a gun, they said that his father had hidden it there, he redug about one meter but they didn’t find it.

At that time he recounts some other people they took to prison such as; Gasombozo, the local leader; Kanama Raphael, the headmaster; Nonabakize Zacharie, the hospital legislator; Mahombwe Prudence, the merchant and others; those people were not killed at that time, but they were killed after in 1972.

In 1972, he was a student at Bujumbura, he lived together with his brother Salvator Rucindika who was teacher at Bujumbura; that brother who supported him in his school life was taken when he was in pub, and he never saw him again. He was obliged to drop out of school in order to sustain his family because his father also was taken away to be killed and their things were looted. Among their things looted, there was his father’s new truck and clothings. Local leaders were included in those killing and looting; the administrator Gahima, captain Nyanka, Ndabaneze, the soldier; the authority Ivo who looted their things, etc. They saw cars coming full of Hutus taken away to be killed, Tutsis were sitting on them, and others were under tires.

During that period, Hutus were targeted but also Tutsis who attempted to help Hutus in that tragedy. Ndayigize Emmanuel was a tutsi, a soldier killed by tutsis because he gave food to a hutu Busongoye Andre from Bwinyana. There was also another Tutsi killed because he helped a Hutu to flee to Kanyaru River. Gapiripiri of cewe was a tutsi killed because he loved Hutus.

Named Persons

Bazompora Joseph: his father killed, Rucindika Salvator: his brother killed in 1972, he was teacher at Bujumbura, Ntibashirakadada Melanie: his mother, Nikozubakwa: his grandfather, Gasombozo: local leader imprisoned in 1965, Nogerwanabake: deputy commissioner in Kirundo, Nyanka: captain at kirundo in 1965, Ntamagara, Ndabaneze: tutsis involved in killing hutus, Mahombwe Prudence, Kanama Raphael, Nonabakize Zacharie, Baranyizigiye Pierre: hutus arrested in 1965, Simbananiye Arthemon: tutsi said to have planned the 1972 tragedy, Rubangi: a Congolese who informed John that his brother was killed, Kagimbi: a person said to have been complicit with Simbananiye Arthemon in the application of the plan.

Named Places

Nyagatovu: where his father lived in Kirundo, Bishisha: where they went to clear forest in 1973 when they went to hunt invaders Hutus

Length of Oral History

00:34:26

Language(s) of Oral History

Kirundi

Language(s) of Transcripts

Kirundi, English

Translator for Transcripts

Translator (for transcripts) Pasteur Niyomwungere, Transcriptionist Sylvane Ndihokubwayo

Field Folder Number

24

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT - EDUCATIONAL USE PERMITTED This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Download Yohani Bazompora - Oral History Transcript and Translation (Kirundi and English) (260 KB)

Bazompora, Yohani

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