The trial of a group of terror suspects led by Major (rtd) Habib Mudathiru who are accused of plotting terror activities on Rwandan territory, is set to resume on Monday, June 22, at Military High Court in Kanombe. The group of 25 were all captured last year in terrorism activities in DR Congo, as part of an intensified campaign by the Congolese military against militia groups operating in the country. The suspects are particularly linked to the terror group Rwanda National Congress (RNC), which is led by Rwandan renegade Kayumba Nyamwasa, who currently lives in South Africa. They had all earlier appeared in the Military Tribunal in Nyamirambo where they were charged with four counts and were subsequently sent on remand. The charges they face include formation and being part of an irregular armed group or joining it, conspiracy against the established Government or the President of the Republic, maintaining relations with a foreign government with the intent to wage a war and formation of or joining a criminal group. All of them plead guilty to many of the charges they stand accused. The terror suspects include foreign nationals like Ugandans, Burundians and at least one Malawian. They were captured and extradited from DR Congo in 2019, where they had formed a militia group that aimed at attacking Rwanda. All the suspects joined the terror group from foreign countries, with many saying that they joined from Uganda where they were then processed to travel to DR Congo through Tanzania then Burundi. The youngest member of the group is aged 18, while the oldest is 53-year old Mudathiru, who was also their commander while in DR Congo. Mudathiru was formerly part of Rwanda Defence Force before he retired in 2013. In a bail ruling last year, all the 25 were remanded owing to the seriousness of the charges they faced and were considered a flight risk should they be released on bail.
