{"id":425336,"date":"2011-05-16T15:14:32","date_gmt":"2011-05-16T15:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/16\/nation-seeks-to-build-regional-consensus-over-new-rebel-threat-from-congo\/"},"modified":"2011-05-16T15:14:32","modified_gmt":"2011-05-16T15:14:32","slug":"nation-seeks-to-build-regional-consensus-over-new-rebel-threat-from-congo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/16\/nation-seeks-to-build-regional-consensus-over-new-rebel-threat-from-congo\/","title":{"rendered":"Nation Seeks to Build Regional Consensus Over New Rebel Threat From Congo"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Charles Kazooba<\/p>\n

16 May 2011<\/p>\n

\n

Nairobi \u2014 Rwanda is seeking support from the East Africa Community partner states to crush a new rebel group based in the DR Congo.<\/p>\n

Kigali has started sharing intelligence information as it builds a case for a possible intervention against the new group, which threatens to scuttle peacebuilding in the volatile Great Lakes region.<\/p>\n

The Rwanda army leadership says intelligence chiefs from the East African Community partner states and the United Nations are still analysing data on the group, allegedly formed by two Rwandan dissidents, Col Patrick Karegeya and Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa, who fell out with President Paul Kagame a few years ago.<\/p>\n

The United Nations early this year reported that the two mobilised the formation of a coalition of rebel groups that include the Forces Patriotiques pour la Lib\u00e9ration du Congo (FPLC), Mai-Mai Sheka, Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), Mai-Mai Yakutumba and FDLR-Soki holed up in the Kivus.<\/p>\n

Lt Col Jill Rutaremara, the Rwanda defence Spokesperson, in an interview with The EastAfrican estimated about 300 youth had been recruited into the ranks of FPLC, and details of their profiles and activities had been shared with the UN Security Council.<\/p>\n

“We have shared with the UN all details. That is why we are asking them to condemn the group and even sanction travel bans against their leaders,” she said.<\/p>\n

The presence of this new group organised by ex-members of Kagame’s elite forces is likely to encourage the Rwanda army to again seek permission from the UN and Kinshasa to pursue the rebels deep into the Congolese jungles.<\/p>\n

But it is unlikely that Kigali will secure such permission considering that in the past both Rwanda and Uganda were blacklisted after they invaded Congo, looted and occupied parts of Congo on the pretext of pursuing rebels fighting their regimes.<\/p>\n

Between 1997 and 2003, Rwanda supported Congolese rebellions and sent troops into eastern Congo in two successive wars.<\/p>\n

Currently, the only strategy on the table is a joint operation by Burundian, Rwandan and Congolese forces, even though such operations have been hindered by red tape.<\/p>\n

Rwanda says the dissidents in the new group have been traversing different African countries recruiting from pools of unemployed, illiterate youth and Rwanda refugees to strengthen the DR Congo-based rebel group.<\/p>\n

This is why the Kigali administration has been lobbying different countries not to let their territories be used for subversive activities.<\/p>\n

It also probably explains why members of the EAC and the DR Congo have been willing to share intelligence information although much of it has been kept secret.<\/p>\n

President Kagame recently warned that his government would not tolerate countries that habour and support his enemies.<\/p>\n

“If you live in a grass-thatched house, you should avoid playing with fire because your own house may catch fire,” said Kagame in a recent speech to parliament.<\/p>\n

Apart from being accused by the UN Security Council, Kigali has also indicted the two on various charges including forming a terrorist group, ethnic divisionism, threatening national security, undermining state authority, and spreading harmful propaganda.<\/p>\n

Although regional discussions are still in the early stages of intelligence gathering, confrontation with the suspected rebels has not been ruled out.<\/p>\n

Kigali’s concerns that neighbouring countries are fertile grounds for dissidents are justified since there is closeness among their people.<\/p>\n

Kayumba and his colleague Karegeya both have blood relations in Uganda, which is the reason they defected and fled through Uganda.<\/p>\n

Uganda has also previously hosted other Rwanda dissidents like Maj Alphonse Furuma, Maj Michael Mupende and Maj Gerald Ntashamaje.<\/p>\n

In 2007 about 69 dissidents were reported to be in Uganda.<\/p>\n

“We know there is this new rebel group — FPLC linked to Karegeya and Kayumba — recruiting from neighbouring countries. They are traversing everywhere,” Rwanda’s ambassador to Uganda Maj Gen Frank Mugambage told The EastAfrican.<\/p>\n

Tripartite meetings<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a strategy, Rwanda has engaged different countries through tripartite and bilateral meetings.<\/p>\n

For example, more than two weeks ago Uganda and Rwanda had a bilateral meeting in Kigali and, according to Lt Col Rutaremara, Rwanda’s security concerns have been raised at such meetings.<\/p>\n

On her part, Uganda has denied its territory could be used for subversive activities against another country.<\/p>\n

“We can never allow our territory to be used to fight another country. Secondly, we have not formally received complaints from Rwanda that their dissidents are operating from our country,” said Uganda’s ambassador to Rwanda Richard Kabonero.<\/p>\n

The Uganda army spokesman Lt Col Felix Kulayigye also reiterated: “We are not aware that there is recruitment by Rwandan rebels in Uganda. If Rwanda has concerns, there are proper channels to address them.”<\/p>\n

This is not the first time Kigali is making a case about a rebellion against Kagame’s government.<\/p>\n

Since mid 1990s there have been claims of rebel outfits in DRC that threaten Kagame’s administration.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\nNation Seeks to Build Regional Consensus Over New Rebel Threat From Congo<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charles Kazooba 16 May 2011 Nairobi \u2014 Rwanda is seeking support from the East Africa Community partner states to crush a new rebel group based in the DR Congo. Kigali has started sharing intelligence information as it builds a case for a possible intervention against the new group, which threatens to scuttle peacebuilding in the volatile Great Lakes region. The Rwanda army leadership says intelligence chiefs from the East African Community partner states and the United Nations are still analysing data on the group, allegedly formed by two Rwandan dissidents, Col Patrick Karegeya and Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa, who fell out with President Paul Kagame a few years ago. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-425336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nNation Seeks to Build Regional Consensus Over New Rebel Threat From Congo - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/16\/nation-seeks-to-build-regional-consensus-over-new-rebel-threat-from-congo\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Nation Seeks to Build Regional Consensus Over New Rebel Threat From Congo - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Charles Kazooba 16 May 2011 Nairobi \u2014 Rwanda is seeking support from the East Africa Community partner states to crush a new rebel group based in the DR Congo. 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