Rwanda Bridge Builders condemns the assassination of Mr. LUCA ATTANASIO, Ambassador of Italy to the DRC

Following the assassination on Monday February 22, 2021 of Mr. LUCA ATTANASIO, Ambassador of Italy to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the framework for consultation of political and Rwandan civil society organizations in exile (Rwanda Bridge Builders, RBB) condemns in the strongest terms this villainous and despicable act and offers its sincere condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Congolese and Italian peoples. 

RBB regards the hasty blaming of the responsibility for this murder on any group without prior investigation as a diversion aimed at distracting the international opinion regarding the real perpetrators of this crime and this will worsen the security situation already existing in that region of DRC. As a result, RBB urges the DRC government to authorize an independent investigation to determine the circumstances of this massacre in an area close to the border with Rwanda, not far from a FARDC military camp, where the United Nations has a strong contingent of 20,000 men to identify and punish the perpetrators of this tragic assassination. 

RBB is convinced that only the identification and punishment of the perpetrators can contribute to definitively eradicating the massacres which have been taking place in the Great Lakes Region for almost 3 decades. 

RBB reiterates its sincere condolences and the expression of its deep sympathy to the families of the victims, as well as to the Congolese and Italian peoples.

Signitories: 

1. Action citoyenne pour la Paix

2. Amahoro-PC

3. Association des rescapés du génocide des réfugiés rwandais au Congo (Ex-Zaïre-RDC) ARGR-Intabaza

4. Centre de Lutte contre l’Impunité et l’Injustice au Rwanda (CLIIR)

5. Comité pour l’Unité, la Paix et la Réconciliation au Rwanda (CUPR)

6. Congrès rwandais du Canada (CRC)

7. Convention Nationale Républicaine (CNR-Intwari)

8. Comité de Suivi de la Problématique des Réfugiés Rwandais (CSPR)

9. COVIGLA, Collectif des victimes des crimes de masse commis dans la region des grands lacs africains

10. Democratic Rwanda Party, DRP-ABASANGIZI

11. FDU-Inkingi

12. Fondation Ibukabose-Rengerabose, Mémoire et Justice pour tous

13. Global Voice of Rwandan Refugees (GVRR)

14. Groupe d’initiative France-Rwanda

15. Inganzo Gakondo

16. Initiative du Peuple pour l’Alliance Démocratique (IPAD-Umuhuza)

17. Initiative Humanitaire pour la région des grands lacs (IHRGL)

18. Initiative HUMURA

19. Institut Seth Sendashonga pour la Citoyenneté Démocratique ISCID asbl

20. JAMBO asbl

21. Liberté d’Expression Culture et Paix, LECP Info

22. Mouvement Républicain pour la Paix et le Progrès, MRP

23. Norway Sub Sahara Africa development organization (NSADO)

24. Observatoire des Droits de l’Homme au Rwanda (ODHR)

25. Organization for Peace, Justice and Development in Rwanda and Great Lakes Region (OPJDR)

26. PS Imberakuri

27. Rassemblement des Jeunes pour l’Avenir du Rwanda (RAJAR ASBL)

28. Réseau International pour la Promotion et la Défense des Droits de l’Homme au Rwanda (RIPRODHOR)

29. RNC-Ihuriro

30. Rwanda National Forum (RNF)

31. Rwandan Alliance for the National Pact (RANP-Abaryankuna)

32. Rwandan American Youth Association

33. Rwandan Platform for Dialogue, Truth, and Justice (RDTJ)

34. Rwandiska föreningen för mänskliga rättigheter (RFMR)

35. RFN Norway, Forum Rwandais Norvege

36. United Freedom Fighters (UFF-INDANGAMIRWA)

RBB Contact address: [email protected]