On April 30^th, 1972, a racial rebellion against the Tutsi, as it was deemed by the government, broke out in Burundi and, in reality, ended up being a massacre against the Hutu population. In truth, it was through a presumed coup d'état that the Tutsi extremists were given an excuse with which to perpetrate a real intellectual genocide against the Hutu people. The Tutsi always denied the Simbananiye Plan, as it was nicknamed, with a determination that only lies can inspire. The Comboni Missionaries who were present in the nation stood by their commitment to truth and justice. In return, they paid the price of expulsion. 40 years have passed since then, and the truth begins to resurface and, with it, so has their meaning and the fruits of their missionary mindset. "We, the Comboni Missionaries in Burundi - wrote Father Gaetano Manzi 10 years later -, beyond our limits, represent a prophetic moment. And this is perhaps the reason that it will not last for long. The trouble is that when you are living and playing this role, you are not aware of that and suffer the pains and torments of all the prophets, without knowing how everything will end." Father Gaetano died in a hospital in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) on June 6^th of last year. Today it is possible to know the fruit of one of his gestures because of Yozefu Ntamahungiro’s testimony.

"My testimony can be made public. I hope that someone from Father Gaetano Manzi’s biological or missionary family is able to read it. I finally have the opportunity to indirectly pay tribute to him for what he did for me and also to the Comboni Fathers, who risked their lives to save many Hutus. You all paid a very high price for that because, from what I know, you were expelled from Burundi by President Jean Baptiste Bagaza (Easter 1977). I was even told that certain bishops of Burundi criticized you all for your commitment, but I do not have the proof. Here is a page from my life.

On December 21, 1972, taking advantage of our vacation, Théogène Murwuwundi, Pierre Rwamangu and I quickly left the Great Seminary of Bujumbura that we frequented to go to the PAR (Refuge Center for the Missionaries) where Father Gaetano was waiting for us. I did not know him personally. It was through Théogène that a "plan" had been meticulously elaborated. Once we had arrived at the PAR, we had to leave very quickly because there were people who were aware that Father Manzi was going to help some people flee. We headed towards the Parish of Mabayi, in the northwest, where there was a community of Comboni Missionaries. The Lord was certainly with us because a downpour fell as we approached the center of the Province of Bubanza. The people who controlled the barrier there had to head for shelter. Since there was space beside that barrier, we went around it and were able to continue with our journey. As we approached the Parish of Mabayi, Father Gaetano left us and suggested that we quickly leave on foot while he inquired about the situation from his parish brothers. Since the military was in the same parish, the father asked the other missionaries to distract them for as long as possible. Without attracting the attention of those military men, he rode downhill with the engine off and joined us. We were on our way again. Having arrived at the fork in the road from the parish to the nearest border with Rwanda, which was not being used due to the bad relations between the two nations, unable to go any further, the father left and wished us good luck. We continued our journey on foot: I will now quickly go over the details that followed. Father Gaetano and I reunited in Rwanda a few months later and stayed in touch.

While Théogène Murwuwundi and Pierre Rwamangu continued in the Great Seminary, I made the decision, as I like to repeat in a somewhat evil way, to "leave the seminary and become a priest".
In fact, after my experiences in Burundi, I was afraid of being a bad priest or leading a double life. I chose to continue living the human, moral and evangelical values that ​​I had adopted in the seminary, but outside the ecclesiastical framework. Father Gaetano accompanied me a lot in my new life and was there every time I needed him. I taught in the Small Seminary of Butare, then in the Rilima School for Burundian refugee students, before going to study in Switzerland. Father Manzi also helped me get a visa for Switzerland: here too, I will breeze over the details. Since I did not have a flight ticket to Switzerland, he offered me the ticket of a missionary who had just given up his vacation; he got in touch with an Italian family friend from Milan who picked me up from the airport and I stayed with him for a few days. Then he paid for my train ticket and gave me some money so that I could get to Freiburg (Switzerland) where I was going to study. Father Gaetano and I stayed in touch even upon my return, after six years of studying in Switzerland, as well as when he went back to Italy. At one point, we lost touch and, in trying to find it again, I realized he has preceded me in going to heaven. I am currently in Belgium where I head the Iwacu newspaper that is published in Bujumbura by the Belgo-Burundian Exchange Center (BBEC), a Belgian law firm.

Bwakeye neza no amahoro y’Imana, mukomeze mugire amahoro y’Imana.

Yozefu Ntamahungiro