EngRegional
Kinshasa’s new plan to sow chaos in region exposed
Since his appointment as the new governor of North Kivu, on September 16, Maj Gen Peter Cirimwami, has dutifully been busy executing his President’s mandate; uniting and supporting all Rwandan negative groups operating in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
For decades, the DRC government has been working with the FDLR, a militia group formed by the remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Today, the regime is extending its help to another negative Rwandan group, a splinter group of the FDLR called the National Liberation Forces (FLN). The group has bases in Burundi, and eastern DRC.
Gen Cirimwami held a meeting, in mid-November with Brig Gen Antoine Hakizimana, alias Jeva, the commander of FLN. The two discussed the possibility of collaboration between Kinshasa and FLN combatants.
Gen Jeva asked Gen Cirimwami to support him the same way he supports the FDLR or FOCA.
The deal he brought to the table is that if the FLN are supported, they will attack Rwanda from the south, which will prompt the Rwandan government to increase defenses, effectively weakening their other positions near DRC.
In addition, Cirimwami has given $80,000 and $20,000 to the Wazalendo and FDLR, respectively, for allowance in their mission to fight the M23 rebels. When Gen Jeva heard this, sources say, he was motivated to request for funds from the DRC government.
However, according to sources, in a twist of events, Gen Cirimwami declined the offer of Gen Jeva, the former telling the latter that his instructions are clear; to support armed groups that are only operating under the umbrella of the FDLR, and they (FLN) should re-join FDLR if they want to benefit from the DRC government’s support.
The FLN is an armed outfit operating in the east of DRC.
It is the military wing of MRCD, a political entity founded by Paul Rusesabagina. The group reportedly has more than 200 combatants, still active in South-Kivu.
The FLN was responsible for attacks in south-western Rwanda between 2018 and 2019. On December 15, 2018, about eight kilometres into Nyungwe National Park, the FLN attacked two buses, and set them on fire. Nine people were killed on spot while one died of injuries, later. The Nyungwe incident in Nyamagabe District was one of the attacks by the FLN which also targeted Nyabimata in Nyaruguru District, and Rusizi District.
In September 2021, the Rwandan High Court Chamber for International and Cross-border Crimes, convicted 21 individuals for their role in these terror attacks.
Since the violation of the ceasefire in October 2023, the FARDC, FDLR, Wazalendo, and the Burundian army, have failed to defeat the M23 rebels. For Kinshasa, associating themselves with another armed group, the FLN, will give them a reinforcement, while disrupting Rwanda, which could be a double win.
Related: How fighting M23 became a lucrative venture for armed groups in DRC
The DRC government clearly knows that the FLN is a terror group, like the FDLR which Kinshasa is collaborating with. However, Tshisekedi does not realize that these armed groups, extend their violence to all the region, not only in DRC.
The genocidal militia and its splinter groups continue to harbor plans to conduct acts of sabotage against Rwanda especially near and around Nyungwe National Park (Southern Province) and the Volcanoes National Park (north-western).
The preservation of armed groups only poses ideological, security and economic threats to all countries in the region.
