Twenty-five combatants of the RNC terrorist organisation who are appearing before a military court in Kigali have been slapped with four counts each. The group has been charged with being part of an unlawful military outfit, treason, forming an illegal military outfit, and conniving with foreign countries to destabilise Rwanda. They are appearing in court for the first time since their capture earlier this year in neighbouring DR Congo during operations by the Congolese army. The group is appearing before the Military Tribunal in Nyamirambo, Nyarugenge District in the capital Kigali. Led by South Africa-based fugitive Kayumba Nyamwasa, Rwanda National Congress, or RNC, is a terrorist organisation blamed for a spate of grenade attacks in Rwanda between 2010 and 2014 that killed at least 17 people and injured over 400 others. Madhatiru (in red) who was wounded during his capture by Congolese forces- FARDC, makes his way to court on Wednesday. The most senior member of the group is retired army Major Habib Madhatiru, 53, a former officer in the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), who’s walking on crutches due to a leg injury he sustained at the time of his capture. Eight of the suspects are foreign nationals – four Burundians, three Ugandans, and one Malawian. The youngest member of the group is aged 18, while the oldest is 53. Court heard that, after his retirement from the RDF, Madhatiru left Rwanda in 2013 and travelled to Uganda where he met one Robert Higiro of RNC, who delivered a message requesting him to join the rebel group. He was also asked to help recruit other demobilised Rwandan soldiers. Congolese forces have in recent months stepped up operations against armed groups in the country’s east and recently killed “Lt Gen” Sylvester Mudacumura, the commander of genocidal FDLR outfit.
