‘Col’ Protogene Ruvugayimikore, a senior commander in the UN-sanctioned terrorist FDLR militia based in eastern DR Congo, was reported killed on December 2, in fighting with the M23 rebel group.
His death was confirmed by M23 military spokesperson Maj Willy Ngoma, who said his body was sent to Hill Africa Hospital in Goma, where the FDLR chief of staff ‘Maj Gen’ Pacifique Ntawunguka, alias Omega, and North Kivu Province Governor Maj Gen Peter Cirimwami went to retrieve it.
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Ruvugayimikore who assumed several aliases including Gaby Ruhinda, Ruhinda, and Zorro Midende, was the commander of the FDLR’s special forces known as the Maccabe Group, formerly CRAP.
He was put under sanctions, including asset freezes and a travel ban, by the European Union in December 2022 for his role in the insecurity in eastern DR Congo.
The EU said then that he was "involved in planning, directing or committing acts that constitute serious human rights violations or abuses in [DR Congo]” and therefore he was "responsible for sustaining the armed conflict, instability and insecurity” in the country.
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The FDLR is a terrorist group founded by the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda who fled to eastern DR Congo where they continue to spread hate and genocide ideology against the Congolese Tutsi communities. The genocidal militia was founded in May 2000 with the help of the Congolese political and military authorities - a fact admitted by one of its founders and former vice president, Straton Musoni, who now lives in Rwanda.
The lie that is FARDC-FDLR divorce
In an interesting twist of events, the Spokesperson of the Congolese army, Maj Gen Sylvain Ekenge, on November 21 said that all the soldiers were ordered to end any contact with the FDLR, one of the members of the Congolese government coalition fighting the M23 rebels.
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However, the M23 says the proclaimed divorce was a lie.
The M23 political spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, said they have "tangible evidence” that contradicts the government statement.
"The [DR Congo] Government is still fully committed to its alliance with the FDLR and the latter are amongst the coalition forces that are attacking our positions and civilians' heavily populated areas,” Kanyuka said in a statement on Sunday.
The M23 has, on many occasions, captured FDLR members who were fighting alongside the Congolese army.