UN Writes to Rwanda on Impending Rebel Attack

The United Nations has communicated to the government of President Paul Kagame, alerting him of an advance of rebels from North to South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Rwandan border.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DRC, Leila Zerrougui said the body received information from DRC authorities about the impending attack on Rwanda.

“We even alerted the Rwandan authorities,” said Zerrougui in a teleconference on Wednesday.

ChimpReports yesterday reported that large numbers of FDLR rebels were marching from their bases in Masisi enroute to South Kivu where they would meet with fighters reportedly loyal to dissident General Kayumba Nyamwasa.

Nyamwasa, who is known to live in South Africa, is expected to give a “briefing” to a joint rebel force that would attack Rwanda.

Officials said the rebels are moving with their children and wives to settle them in South Kivu.

DRC Defence Minister Crispin Atama recently wrote to MONUSCO seeking full “support” of MONUSCO forces to “thwart” the Rwandan rebel advance.

Atama said DRC does not wish to be used as a rear base for destabilising Rwanda.

But Zerrougui yesterday ruled out using military force against FDLR, saying MONUSCO is “engaging FDLR fighters in talks and persuading them to lay down weapons” as attacking them would mean loss of lives on the part of children and women.

In its communication to Rwanda, UN said its military forces specifically the department in charge of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration was engaging the FDLR to realise a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Kagame was further briefed that UN continued working closely with DRC government to arrest the situation.

The Rwandan government’s response remains unclear. However, the Congolese, is a show of good faith, repatriated two FDLR leaders captured late last year to Rwanda.

FDLR’s spokesperson LaForge Fils Bazeye and Lt Col Jean Pierre Nsekanabo, the outfit’s head of intelligence, have since been interrogated by Rwanda.

It’s unclear if the FDLR fighters are using vulnerable people as human shields.

The rebels’ ability to attack and overwhelm a conventional army in Rwanda is seen by many as a dream.

Nyamwasa’s party, RNC, denied reports of planning a military attack on Rwanda, saying Kigali is diverting attention from their calls for talks to resolve outstanding political differences.