More FDLR rebels defect

A former secretary to the FDLR overall commander, Lieutenant Alphonse Senyoni, who defected recently, has appealed for more protection, claiming “he is the most wanted man by FDLR” and his former boss, General Mudacumura wants him dead. The 45-year old Senyoni, was once a chief secretary of former ex-FAR renegade General Gastar Nsabimana, and left the country during Genocide. He later joined FDLR ranks as the head of Gen Mudacumura’s secretariat. “I fled from Mudacumura because he has lost the objective of the war, he says he wants to restore democracy in Rwanda, bring justice and peace to the country,” Senyoni said, “But what he wants exists in Rwanda already.” In an interview at Mutobo demobilisation centre, Senyoni recalled that he fell out with Mudacumura after he sent his wife, who had suffered a heart condition, to Rwanda for medication. The speculations was that I was also about to defect and Gen Mudacumura ordered my death, he claimed. “I was to be killed at midnight but my friends leaked the information to me and I immediately fled. The UN mission [MONUSCO] sent a helicopter to airlift me but up to now I receive threats from FDLR guys, some call me saying my former boss has sent a team to kill me,” Senyoni narrated.Senyoni is among 16 FDLR combatants who were on Wednesday repatriated from the Democratic Republic of Congo and taken to Mutobo demobilisation and reintegration centre in Musanze for a civic education and assistance in reintegration. More than 300 former combatants have defected in September alone. Lieutenant Senyoni says between 4000-4500 FDLR combatants are still in DRC compared to 8000-9000 a year ago. Ends

National

More FDLR rebels defect