“I PREFER THE HAGUE TO KIGALI,” DEFEATED M23 OVERAL COMMANDER GENERAL MAKENGA TOLD HIS CLOSEST AIDES

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013

“I will not flee to Rwanda. I prefer spending the rest of my life at the ICC (International Criminal Court), than in Kigali,” General Sultani Makenga, the defeated military leader of Rwandan government backed M23 Congolese rebels told his closest aides, the top unit commanders of his troops, on the last day of his resistance against the Congolese government forces (FARDC) supported UN Intervention Brigade. This is what the sources within M23 defeated rebels, both in Rwanda and Uganda, told AfroAmerica Network. According to the sources, General Makenga was  holding the meeting with his closest aides to decide whether to give up fighting and flee, and if yes, to what country.

Several of his top unit commanders opted for Rwanda. They argued that since most of the fighting troops came from Rwanda, it was natural that Rwanda be the next refuge. He then addressed them for the last time:

“Look. It is clear that we  have lost the war, despite all the support in weapons, supplies, equipment, and troops we received from Rwanda. When we started  this [rebellion], our goal was limited to making our aspirations known, not to conquer territories. General Paul Kagame’s vision was different. Since late last year, we have been working under  the framework of General Paul Kagame’s vision of invasion and conquest. In the process, we lost sight of our own vision. We lost so many young men and women; our brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. For what?  It is time to break with General Paul Kagame. That is why I cannot and will not go to Rwanda. I prefer a prison in a another country, than humiliation in Rwanda. I will not flee to Rwanda. I prefer spending the rest of my life at the ICC , than in Kigali. ”

After the speech, the top unit commanders conferred once again and decided that everyone freely choses where to seek refuge. The Rwandan Defense Forces special forces that were supporting M23 rebels along with some M23 Congolese Tutsi had already started to decided to flee to Rwanda. Congolese from Hutu,  Nande, and other tribe gave up their weapons and surrendered to Congolese FARDC and UN Intervention. Congolese Tutsi from Masisi and Jomba and Bunagana decided to flee to Uganda, along with Sultan Makenga.

Since then, General Makenga along with 16 of his closest aides have been housed by Ugandan Department of Military Intelligence in a safe-house, situated near the town of Mbarara. The sources in contact with AfroAmerica Network say that General Makenga has been complaining to his Ugandan hosts about the tight space and bad living conditions, and askeing to be moved to a larger home. The safe-house has only two bedrooms, for 17 people. During the war with FARDC,  General Makenga had stashed the money from his  loots into bank accounts  and with relatives inside Rwanda. When  he fled to Uganda, he did not have the opportunity to secure his money. Meanwhile,  General Paul Kagame has ordered a freeze on accounts and possessions of M23 rebels and its leaders.

“Life is tough for them [Makenga and his commanders], right now,” the sources told AfroAmerica Network, before adding, “however, they still prefer living in these conditions than being the guests of General Paul Kagame.”

Rising Internal Ethnic Divisions

After being defeated, M23 rebels are now faced with a problem, that has been simmering for quite some time, but was swept under the rugs during the war: ethnic divisions. There are serious conflicts among the three main ethnic groups within the M23 members: Hutus, Tutsis and Nande.

During the war, M23 Tutsi leaders , who mostly hail from Jomba and Masisi, needed the Congolese Hutus, who are the majority in the strategic areas from Masisi, Rutshuru, and the Nyiragongo territory that borders Rwanda.   M23 also needed the Nande, one of the dominant ethnic groups in North-Kivu in general. The idea was to project a Congolese National identity. Still, the Tutsis dominated all the political and military leadership structures of the M23 rebellion, and most of its fighting troops were from Rwandan Defense Forces special forces,  dominated by the Tutsi Bagogwe.

When M23 rebels were defeated on November 6, 2013,  most of the Hutu and Nande preferred a surrender to FARDC , instead of fleeing to Rwanda or Uganda. Now, the M23 rebel Tutsi leaders are accusing the Hutu and Nande leaders of having encouraged the troops to surrender to FARDC. They also accuse the Nande and Hutu of being in intelligence with DRC government officials in Kampala. One of the Hutu leaders targeted is Sendugu Museveni, who, until recently, was the Political Commissioner and one of the key M23 negotiators in Kampala. On  November 26,  Sendugu Museveni, a Hutu from Bwisha, Rutshuru territory,  was excluded from the M23 rebels leadership along with his closest collaborators, including Roger Lumbala and Alidor Mutudi, although from other Congolese ethnic groups. Roger Lumbala, was president  of Rally of Congolese Democrats and Nationalists (RCD/N) and a member of the Congolese parliament, before joining the M23 rebels. Alidor Mutudi was, before joining M23 rebels, a member of several political partiens, including UREC (Union pour la reconstruction du Congo) and UNC (Union de la Nation Congolaise) .

Source: AfroAmerica Network