The Military High Court in Kanombe on Monday, June 22, started hearing in substance the case in which 32 people are charged in connection with joining the Rwanda National Congress (RNC), an anti-Rwanda outfit operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Of the 32, the main man is Habib Mudathiru, a retired major in the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). In the hearing, the prosecution shed some light on his journey of joining the RNC. According to prosecution, after retiring from the RDF, Mudathiru moved to Uganda in 2013 where he came to meet with members of the RNC. Among those he met was a one Gerald who advised him to try and get documents of a refugee in Uganda. He promised to assist him in the process of acquiring the documents, and after sometime, they were successful in securing them. Mudathiru came to settle in a refugee camp in Arua, northern Uganda. Prosecution argued that some Ugandan officials used the refugee camps as a place for offering protection to anti-Rwanda elements. Later on, Mudathiru came to meet another person called Rasta, who was also linked to RNC. He is said to have told Mudathiru about a political party called “RNC” led by Kayumba Nyamwasa; and that there were plans of establishing a military wing for the party. By 2014, Mudathiru met with another Rwandan dissident, a one Major Robert Higiro who showcased to him how he could be useful in the RNC military wing. Higiro is said to have asked Mudathiru to assist them in finding other retired RDF soldiers for the RNC military wing. In 2016, Mudathiru met with Ben Rutabana who told him more details about the RNC. Rutabana is said to have told Mudathiru that the RNC military wing would be established in DR Congo in a place called Bijabo. He added that some people that are part of the group had already reached the place. Among these were a one staff sergeant Kanyerera aka Knayankore, one private Jean Bosco Ruhinda (a deserter from the RDF), a one Sgt Alex Karemera, and a one Sgt Butera. Later in 2017, Mudathiru and one captain Charles Sibo escaped the Arua camp and went to Kampala where they met with one Felix Mwizerwa and Richard Mateka – a son of General Mateka of the Ugandan army. Mudathiru was facilitated to talk with Nyamwasa on skype, and the latter told them a number of plans concerning the RNC. After that, Mudathiru managed to get fake Ugandan documents under the name of Patrick Mugume, and Sibo also got in the names of “Sam.” It is with these documents that they left Uganda and went to Burundi where they were also received by Burundian soldiers including one called “Maso.” It is from here that they found their way into the Minembwe forests where the RNC operates. Prosecution said that Burundian army officials gave support to them in the form of assisting them to get their recruits to their camps among other things. Mudathiru and a number of others came to be captured later in 2019 after raids made on rebels by DR Congo armed forces. They were handed over to Rwanda where they are currently facing justice. Yesterday, the military High Court in Kanombe allocated a second consecutive day for the hearing of the case. Mudathiru and his group (25 people) face charges including 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. In the trial, Mudathiru’s group is joined by 7 other people, including five Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) soldiers and two civilians who are also connected to anti-Rwanda activities in DR Congo. The new group is made up of Private Dieudonné Muhire and 4 other RDF soldiers alongside two civilians. These are charged with conspiracy against the established government of Rwanda, joining an irregular armed group (RNC), creating a criminal group intending to do harm, among other crimes. Muhire and company had initially been scheduled to be jointly charged with Callixte Nsabimana who is facing similar charges in the specialized chamber for international crimes at high court, but court later decided to try him separately. Yesterday’s trial was a long and detailed one where prosecution had to talk about each one of the suspects - showcasing to the judges the details of how they did the crimes they were charged with. As the case continues today, prosecution is expected to finish giving the details of the suspects’ charges and the suspects themselves and their lawyers are expected to make their defence in that regard.
