English - Global Balance

44. MUSICAL PRESENTATION AT GATUMBA Burundi
CONCERT OF PEACE AND RECONCILIATION
In the same perspective of peace and reconciliation, the Holy Family Choir undertook a trip
towards Gatumba Parish (Rural Bujumbura), on Sunday 5 th of September 2010. The objective of
that visit was to perform a concert of peace and reconciliation that the choir began since 2007.
The concert of Gatumba was the 4 th after those presented in Gitega, Ruyigi and Kayanza
Why at Gatumba?
Gatumba is a border zone of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at about 30 Kilometers of
Bujumbura. This area receives many returnees from DRC where a good deal of refugees had
taken refuge during the severe moments brought about by the sociopolitical crisis since 1993. As
such, these returnees are inevitably in need of a message of peace and reconciliation so that
they might come to self-reassurance. Again, it cannot be ignored that this area used to constitute
a shelter for the ex-rebellion, PALIPEHUTU-FNL Movement, which finally signed the last
agreement of Ceasefire in Burundi.
Concert itself
The concert began just after a Holy Mass animated by the Holy Family Choir. Then, songs and
dances of peace and reconciliation were performed under the following theme: “Burundians,
love one another!”
The audience appreciated those songs and
dances of peace and reconciliation, given that
the Holy Family Choir was the first to present
such a concert there.
In the middle of the concert, the Parish Priest
Léonard Manirambona thanked the Holy Family
Choir to have chosen his Parish. He precised that
the concert brought a big contribution because his
Christians were not familiar with such kinds of
concerts.
The concert took an end in a very extraordinary
mood wherein different participants gathered in the reception. The speekers by different
authorities were held, all of them thanking the Holy Family Choir. Jean-Etienne Ndayizigiye
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