Exclusive: “Rwandan opposition recruiting fighters via Burundi to DRC”- UN Report

The United Nation’s Group of Experts Report on DRC of Dec 2018 found that an armed group active in Fizi and Uvira territories and associated with Rwandan opposition groups benefited from local and external support for the recruitment of its combatants.

The report was provided to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 21 November 2018 and was considered by the Committee on 6 December 2018

The Group confirmed that most of the arms and ammunition used by the armed group were transferred from Burundi, but it could not confirm the identities of the individuals and entities involved.

Several sources informed the Group of the presence of recruitment cells in South

Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania and Burundi that facilitated the transfer of recruits from their country of residence to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by

Way of Burundi and Rwanda.

Information reaching this website is that there might be some Rwandans coming from the country to join the armed group based in DRC as well as Burundi.

In the meantime Rwanda is aware of these armed movements and President KAGAME himself has announced the readiness of his Defense Forces to deal with whoever will dare to involve Rwanda in the war.

Recruiting Network

The network relied upon individuals in key cities along the path to Beni territory.

One of those individuals defined himself and the others as “focal points”.

They were in charge of the recruits travelling through their respective areas of responsibility and provided them with the necessary support and identity documents. The focal point for Uvira was Rachid Senga (also known as Senga Khaled Eid or Issiakah Abu Saifullah).

Abu Said was the focal point for Goma; Karim Abdu for Bujumbura; and

Hamu for Bukavu. The focal points had at least two houses at their disposal in Goma and Bukavu to accommodate recruits during their transfer to Beni territory.

The focal points worked with others, including motorcyclists who transported recruits from Butembo to the armed group and deliverymen in Uvira, Bukavu and Goma who supplied fraudulent electoral cards.

Kayumba Nyamwasa Gives Order

In September 2018, the Group separately interviewed 12 ex-combatants. They all told the Group that Shaka Nyamusaraba was the commander of the armed group, which included both foreign combatants, most of Rwandan origin, and Congolese Banyamulenge.

They also told the Group that they had received a briefing during which the armed group was called “P5”, the Rwanda National Congress or “the group of Kayumba Nyamwasa”.

Several ex-combatants informed the Group that Nyamwasa frequently travelled to the region. The Group could not confirm the information and requested the assistance of South Africa. The latter has not yet responded to the request.

Nyamusaraba was previously known as the leader of the local armed group Ngomino