Paul Kagame says president of neighbouring Burundi ‘should have learned the lessons’ of 1994 Rwandan genocide of Tutsi and moderate Hutu

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, has used an emotional speech to implore neighbouring Burundi not to repeat the ethnic violence that ended in genocide in his country in 1994.

Regional and world powers have grown increasingly concerned that the security situation in Burundi could lead to civil war or mass atrocities, and that a weekend deadline for Burundians to give up weapons could spark widespread bloodshed.

At least 200 people have died and tens of thousands have left the country after months of violence and protests since President Pierre Nkurunziza declared he would seek a third term, which he succeeded in doing in a contested vote in July.

“They should have learned the lesson of our history,” Kagame told an audience in the Rwandan capital Kigali on Friday, according to audio of the speech shared on social media.

Some 800,000 people, most of them Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were massacred in Rwanda before rebel forces led by Kagame ended the genocide. Burundi is about 85% Hutu and 14% Tutsi.

Kagame has mostly avoided talking about the unfolding political crisis in Burundi. Rwanda is currently in the process of adjusting its own presidential term limit rules that would pave the way for Kagame to seek a third term in office.

In the speech he was pointedly critical of Nkurunziza, a former Hutu rebel leader who became Burundi’s first democratically elected president after its civil war. Kagame said Nkurunziza was allowing his people to die.

“No one knows where he is, no one can talk to him. How does he lead his people? People are dying every day, dead bodies are being dragged on the streets every day,” Kagame said.

Also on Saturday, Burundi’s minister for security, Alain Guillaume Bunyoni, told a news conference the disarmament process had been launched, “with respect for human rights”.

“The security forces are there and will stay until peace is restored. And whoever will try to oppose the return of peace will … have troubles,” he said.

He also said security forces were investigating an attack on a bar in Bujumbura on Saturday night that witnesses say left nine people dead and others wounded. A bar worker who survived the attack and asked not to be identified said that the men were wearing police uniforms.

But Bujumbura mayor Freddy Mbonimpa denied that police were involved. “It’s a lie,” said Mbonimpa, adding that robbery may have been the motive for the attack.