The Ruhwa John Does were three men who were found floating in the Ruhwa River on the border between Burundi and Rwanda in Africa in August 2017. They are believed to possibly be related to the ongoing crisis of a mass amount of bodies being found in bodies of water that are located on the borders of the two countries. Due to the political tension and crisis between Burundi and Rwanda, it is believed the deaths may be related to it.
Case[]
Beginning in mid-July of 2014, over 40 unidentified bodies would be discovered in Lake Rweru and the Ruhwa River, which are located on the borders of the countries of Burundi and Rwanda in Africa. The first bodies that were recovered would be found wrapped in plastic bags by fishermen that lived off of Lake Rweru before the discovery of occasional bodies that lacked the wrapping. Burundian authorities believe that the bodies originated from Rwanda due to the flow of the Kagera River into Lake Rweru and that they were likely victims of homicide, though Rwanda denied this possibility. Rumors about mass disappearances in Rwanda and uncooperative Rwandan authorities were received by Burundian authorities while they worked under national pressure to solve the mystery of the lake's bodies, but Burundi was also suspected of dumping the bodies in the lake. Both countries are reported to have committed various human rights violations, especially during the time the bodies first began to be found on Lake Rweru. Burundi had also restricted the retrieval of bodies from Lake Rweru for a time in November 2014.
Due to both Rwanda and Burundi being unable to conclude on the origin of the bodies, Burundi finally accepted aid in investigating the deaths after months of pressure by various governments and human rights organizations. The African Union would soon join in aiding the investigation was more bodies were discovered in the area, though the investigation would become increasingly more difficult as tensions flared between Burundi and Rwanda after Rwandan soldiers shot Burundian immigrants attempting to cross over into Rwanda on Lake Rweru. In addition, Burundi began to accuse Rwanda of abducting three fishermen from the country. As of February 2022, the last known body connected to the case was discovered on November 12th, 2019.
Some national officials involved in the case believe the bodies being discovered between the countries may not originate from either and may be from Uganda or the Democratic Republic of Congo as a result of infighting between organizations in the country. Though, it is reported that Rwandan authorities were seen exhuming bodies alongside Rwandan citizens witnessing the bodies floating down the Kegara River to Burundi.
Sources[]
- Lake Rweru on Wikipedia
- BBC
- Reuters
- AA (French)
- RFI:
- Article #1 (French)
- Article #2 (French)