Refugees who fled war in eastern Congo die on Denver streets

Refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rukasa Claude, left, and Therese Mukandakezi in Claude's apartment in Denver on Dec. 2, 2022. Therese's grandson and Ruskasa's good friend, Zuwa Goro, was shot and killed in a nearby alley last year. Another friend of Claude's, Eugene Karekezi, was also killed in the same alley. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post) — Refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rukasa Claude, left, and Therese Mukandakezi in Claude’s apartment in Denver on Dec. 2, 2022. Therese’s grandson and Ruskasa’s good friend, Zuwa Goro, was shot and killed in a nearby alley last year. Another friend of Claude’s, Eugene Karekezi, was also killed in the same alley. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

By Bruce Finley | bfinley@denverpost.com | The Denver Post

UPDATED: January 9, 2023 at 6:03 AM MST

Refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo Eugene Karekezi and Goro Zuwa (short for Zuwayidi Byiringiro) in Denver's East Colfax neighborhood, along with Emmanel Amani, are among the latest of many refugees who fled life-threatening perils in Africa and then were murdered in the United States. Now survivors face displacement as urban renewal redevelopment gains momentum, raising fears about rising rents. Some refugees (including Goro and Karekezi before they were killed) mull returning to Africa.