The number of FLN terror suspects that are pleading guilty has increased after four more defendants admitted that they took part in the attacks that the terror group carried out in Rusizi district in 2019.
Six suspects testified in the trial that took place on Friday, May 7 at the High Court Specialized Chamber for International and Cross-Border Crimes.
Four of these took responsibility for the crimes, and asked for forgiveness.
Among these is Emmanuel Shaban, who, according to prosecution, among other things worked as a guide who assisted Cassien Bizimana, an FLN soldier on his journey of smuggling weapons into Rwanda.
Shaban faces charges which include being an accomplice to murder, conspiring and encouraging others to commit terror, illegal use of explosives in public, and arson.
Standing before court, he pleaded guilty to all the charges.
Here, he admitted that on three occasions, he guided Bizimana on his way from DRC to the border of Rwanda where he (Bizimana) delivered weapons including guns, grenades and ammunition to other people who smuggled them into Rusizi district.
In addition, he said he was onboard a boat that transported between 80 to 100 FLN fighters that were on their way to Rwanda.
He also admitted that he connected his brother, Simeon Nikuzwe to a one Justin Bugingo, a DRC-based member of the FLN who was a key figure in recruiting fighters and coordinating the attacks.
On his part, Nikuzwe also pleaded guilty of the single charge he is facing, which is being part of a terror group.
He admitted that on 2 occasions, he received grenades sent to him by Bugingo, but he declared to him that he was not interested in working with him, and by the time he (Nikuzwe) was arrested, he was looking for ways of reporting him to local authorities.
"If I was really interested in these terror acts, I would have tried to find ex-soldiers with whom to partner to carry out grenade attacks as Bugingo had asked me. However, I just took the grenades home and kept them, as I was looking for ways of reporting this to the authorities. However, I was arrested before I could report.” he said.
Others that pleaded guilty are Innocent Ntibiramira and Jean Claude Byukusenge.
Ntibiramira admitted to have taken part in 5 attacks in Rusizi district, including a time when he, along with others, threw a grenade into an empty car, with an aim of destroying it.
He also said he participated in several shooting incidents aimed at showcasing the presence of FLN.
In all the attacks that took place in Rusizi, no one died, but several people sustained injuries.
Byukusenge confessed that he threw a grenade into a car near Stella bar in Rusizi.
The grenade injured several people, according to prosecution.
He also said he was part of the group that burnt a car in Karangiro, in the same district.
The lawyers of the four defendants asked the court to be lenient during sentencing, considering the fact that they pleaded guilty and asked for forgiveness.
The other two defendants that were heard on the same day denied some of the charges against them.
Among these is Joseph Ntabanganyimana who, according to prosecution, helped the FLN militia to buy a boat to transport its fighters into Rwanda, in addition to assisting them find a landing site that was not in proximity of Congolese forces, on their journey (the fighters’) to Rwanda.
He however denied this, saying all he did was help Bugingo (an FLN combatant) to buy a boat, but he did not know that he was going to use it in terror activities.
"I did not know Bugingo that much, and I did not know that he was into terror activities. We had met during my business as a truck driver in Bukavu, as I had to transport some building materials for him. However, later on, he came back to where I was working and asked me to assist him buy a boat, which I did. He told me that he was going to use it to transport agricultural produce from Goma to Bukavu. From that time, I never got to meet him again,” he said.
The case was adjourned to May 13 and 14 when the court will hear from more defendants.