When genocide convict Lt Col Tharcisse Renzaho - who was Mayor of Kigali during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi - met some international journalists in Musanze, he told them that the fall of Kigali on July 4, 1994 to the RPA was a tactical withdraw and that they would take it back soon.

Renzaho proceeded to flee from Musanze to Rubavu and those cities were respectively liberated by the RPA on July 14 and 17, 2000.

July 17, 1994 marked the total defeat of the genocidal government which fled to the then Zaire (current Democratic Republic of Congo) and formed camps in south and north Kivu provinces in distances between two to 10 kilometres from Rwanda's border. The government of Zaire didn’t disarm them but Tanzania did.

What Renzaho told the media was a message of the genocidal government. Upon arrival in Zaire, the refugee camps were transformed into military camps with military trainings. The new Government of Rwanda protested this action. The then Vice President, Maj Gen Paul Kagame, asked the UN Security Council to disarm genocidal forces inside the camp and move them to distances far  from the Rwandan border.

While the reorganization and training were ongoing, the infiltration targeting the survivors of the genocide against Tutsi started. On April 3, 1995, the Rassemblement pour le Retour des Refugiés et la Democratie au Rwanda, or Rally for the Return of Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda (RDR) was established in Mugunga refugee camp, in eastern Zaire.

The RDR birthed many other negative forces and the first one was The Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALiR), the armed wing of the Party for the Liberation of Rwanda (PALIR). ALiR, led by Col Leonard Nkundiye, invaded Rwanda in 1997. Nkundiye was killed in mid-July 1998 and was replaced by his deputy, Lt Col Dr Froduald Mugemanyi.

Following the killing of the ALiR commander, the RPA intensified its offensive against ALiR in the former  Gisenyi and Ruhengeli Prefectures and in some parts of former Kibuye and Gitarama prefectures. RPA ground operations supported by airstrikes by helicopters weakened infiltrators. Two weeks after Nkundiye's death, his successor, Mugemanyi, who was guarded by ALiR special forces know as CRAP was also killed on, August 5, 1998.

Mugemanyi was heavy guarded because besides being commander of ALiR, he was the man behind ALiR’s medical supplies.

He was killed in the former Nyarutovu Commune, current Rulindo District, with his 60 soldiers. Twenty of his soldiers were killed as they tried to recover the commander's body and medical equipment  and the drugs he was moving with.

When Nkundiye was killed, his body was seen by the media and this weakened the morale of ALiR supporters. ALiR wanted to hide the body of Mugemanyi which was identified by a former escort who had abandoned the insurgents and joined the Government army.

After the death of Mugemanyi, ALiR withdrew to Zaire and Maj Gen Rwarakabije took over command when ALIR became FDLR (The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) in 2000. Under Rwarakabije’s command, a group was sent to attack Rwanda and its Commander, Col Pierre Habimana, alias, Bemera, was captured along with his soldiers. 

Col Pierre Claver Habimana, Alias, Bemera

Their capture was one of the reasons Rwarakabije was motivated to return to Rwanda, in addition to calls made to him by the then Rwandan Chief of Staff, Gen James Kabarebe. Rwarakabije returned to Rwanda along with some senior officers like Maj Gen Jerome Ngendahimana.

Gen Maj Paul Rwarakabije upon his return to Rwanda in 2003

Rwarakabije was replaced by Lt Gen Sylvestre Mudacumura who was the former deputy commander of the Presidential Guard in Rwanda during the genocide. 

Lt Gen Sylvestre Mudacumura                                                 Body of Lt Gen Sylvestre Mudacumura

In 2005, internal disputes between Gen Sylvestre Mudacumura and one of his brigade commanders, Col Jean Damascene Ndibabaje, alias, Musare, led to the creation of AN Imboneza, an armed group that allied to the FDLR/RUD Urunana faction. 

Musare who was known to be brutal, asserted that he will get married in Rwanda after removing the RPF-led government.

Col Musare, who fled Rwanda when he was a Second-Lieutenant was killed on February 8, 2016 by Mai Mai militia.

Col Jean Damascene Ndibabaje, Alias, Musare in middle

Musare was replaced as RUD Urunana Commander by Gen Juvenal Musabyimana, alias, Africa Jean Michel. Africa Jean Michel who was know to have houses in Uganda and Congo-Brazzaville  was killed during Congolese army operations on November 9, 2019 in Rutshuru District while trying to flee to Uganda.

Gen Janvier Musabyimana, Alias, Janvier Africa

After his death, Col Cyprien Mpiranya, alias, Kagoma, took command of RUD Urunana but after one year he was killed on August 29, 2020.

Col Cyprien Mpiranya, Alias, Kagoma

He was replaced by Col Emmanuel Rugema who was killed due to internal power disputes with Col Fayida and Capt Gavana. The Kinigi attack which took the lives of 14 innocent people occurred during the command of Rugema.

Body of Col Emmanuel Rugema

Back to FDLR, its strong Commander Lt Gen Sylvestre Mudacumura who was known to be very discreet was killed early morning on September 18, 2019. He was killed along with his military advisor Col Serge, his security chief Maj Gaspard and FDLR Special Advisor Soso Sixbert.

On May 31, 2016, a split within the FDLR gave birth to yet another group, the National Council for Renewal and Democracy or CNRD-Ubwiyunge.

It’s leader, Gen Wilson Irategeka who was the second Vice President of FDLR, had decided to quit following months of disagreements with their President, Gen Victor Byiringiro.

Gen Wilson Irategeka

In November 2016, CNRD-Ubwiyunge and PDR-Ihumure of Paul Rusesabagina formed a coalition under the MRCD platform.  In the end of 2017, the Rwanda Revolutionary Movement (RRM) led by Callixte Nsabimana joined the platform and an armed wing affiliated to MRCD was named the Force de Liberation Nationale (FLN). Rusesabagina became President of MRCD/FLN, Gen Wilson Irategeka the first Vice President and the Commander of FLN while Callixte Sankara became second Vice President and MRCD/FLN publicist.

In April 2019, the then Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Richard Sezibera, told a press conference that Sankara was arrested in The Comoros and transferred to Rwanda. After a few days he was paraded to the media. When the latter was arrested, the MRCD/FLN leader, Rusesabagina, told BBC that he was not discouraged by his arrest. On different media platforms, Nsabimana Callixte on behalf of MRCD/FLN claimed reponsability of the deadly attacks in south west Rwanda.

Rwandans especially the victims of the FLN attacks were surprised in the morning of August 31, 2020 when the images of Rusesabagina, handcuffed, and guarded by Police officers were circulating on social media.

Rusesabagina’s trial along with his co-accused was livestreamed and he was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted with terror related charges. Callixte Nsabimana was sentenced to 20 years. The commander of FLN, Gen Wilson Irategeka, was reportedly killed by the Congolese army in 2020, in South Kivu Province.

Callixte Nsabimara, Alias, Sankara

When Rusesabagina declared war against Rwanda, he didn’t look at history, otherwise he could have known that there is no single armed group which succeeded. As President Paul Kagame has said before, “No one will betray Rwanda and get away with it.”

Paul Rusesabagina

“Regardless of who you are, there will be consequences and if you declare war on Rwanda with intention to destabilise the country, the people and their property, never complain if you get a beating.”