Virunga Post e-Paper — Issue 011

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Your source for credible news Issue no 011

September, 2020

FLN leader ‘Brig General’ Hakizimana tries to incite peaceful Rwandans into insurrection

NEWS

Genocide survivors laud IRMCT’s ruling against Semanza’s application for early release

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OP - ED

Presidents Museveni and Ndayishimiye frustrating President Félix Tshisekedi’s efforts to stabilize the region Page 5

Jeva of FLN incites insurrection. He too will find himself in Rwanda facing justice.

“Brig. Gen” Antoine Hakizimana, alias Jeva, the head of military operations of Paul Rusesabagina’s FLN (Front de Liberation National) terrorist outfit has been caught in yet another criminal act, inciting Rwandans from across the country to revolt against their elected leadership. He was speaking in interview published on September 17 by Jambonews.net – a hostile anti-Rwanda website which is run by European-based offspring of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Page 2 Rusesabagina’s allies move to play sympathy card as they mudsling authorities of Rwanda

Ugandan sues Rwanda over “border closure”; he should sue his government instead

A group called ‘Rwanda Bridge Builders’ – which is an umbrella of genocide deniers and negationists, as well as terrorist organizations – last week issued a joint statement in which they tried to sanctify Paul Rusesabagina, recently arrested for terrorism.

Ugandan websites such as The Independent and Commandonepost have given prominence to reports that “a panel of three Judges in the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) that was hearing Steven Kalali’s case has questioned the honesty of Rwanda’s government.” Page 4

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PROFILE

Profile: Ndereyehe temporarily evades justice, but survivors are confident it won’t be forever Page 7

REGIONAL

Now CMI misinformation tries to spin Joan Kagezi’s assassination upon Rwanda Page 8


NEWS

Issue no 011 September 2020

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FLN leader ‘Brig General’ Hakizimana tries to incite peaceful Rwandans into insurrection By Moses Gisa “Brig. Gen” Antoine Hakizimana, alias Jeva, the head of military operations of Paul Rusesabagina’s FLN (Front de Liberation National) terrorist outfit has been caught in yet another criminal act, inciting Rwandans from across the country to revolt against their elected leadership. He was speaking in interview published on September 17 by Jambonews.net – a hostile anti-Rwanda website which is run by European-based offspring of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Hakizimana who claimed to be speaking from Nyamagabe District, Southern Province, sanctified all FLN terror activities and accused the Government of Rwanda of “carrying terror activities on Rwanda’s territory and abroad,” as well as “advancing self-interests” through various policies. The incendiary interview cited “high taxes”, the community-based health insurance scheme (Mutuelle de Santé), among others, in trying to incite Rwandans to insurrection. “Some will die, but others will

win,” he proclaimed. However Rwandan social media users derided Jeva’s assertions. “FLN and other anti-Rwanda terror groups are worth no attention at all. We do not care, even one Callixte Nsabimana, the former FLN mouthpiece used to make noise that he speaks from Rwanda and he ended up arrested from a foreign country to face justice,” commented a Facebook account. Hakizimana “Jeva” also alleged that the Rwandan Government “kidnaps its critics”, claiming as an example his wife and two children. The truth, however, is that his family is part of Rwandans who were repatriated to Rwanda last year by the Congolese army. According to observers, Hakizimana was attempting to smear Rwanda, adding, “He should instead be grateful that Rwanda warmly welcomed and facilitated the re-integration of his family members into Rwandan society. They were living a very miserable life in the jungle in Congo!” “In a testimony shared by Christine Ingabire, a 19 years-old girl, almost the same age as Jeva’s

daughter, highlighted how life in the jungle was unbearable. She said she was in charge of manning a heavy four-barrelled machine gun, and that she had to always move with a Kalashnikov. “The young girls were turned into the men officers’ ‘wives’ and we were given pills so that they couldn’t get pregnant!” she testified almost in tears. Child defilement is a rampant crime by groups like FLN, FDLR, and others. “Birds of the same feather flock together”, an observer pointed out while commenting on the reason Jambonews.net gave a platform to the military leader of a group that responsible for terror attacks that claimed lives of unarmed and innocent civilians in Southern and Western parts of Rwanda. “Jambo asbl has always proven to be committed to siding with anti-Rwanda groups aimed at destabilizing and throwing mud at Rwanda,” said the observer. In July 2014, Placide Kayumba co-founder and then president the organization went all the way to DR Congo to conduct an interview with Gaston Iyamure-

mye, alias Victor Byiringiro, leader of FDLR- remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It is hence not surprising to see them giving another interview to another anti-Rwanda terror group. But like Rusesabagina was arrested over terrorism, arson and murder among 13 charges remanded in custody for 30 days these other fellows too will find themselves in Kigali, facing justice, commented our source.

Jeva of FLN incites insurrection. He too will find himself in Rwanda facing justice.

Genocide survivors laud IRMCT’s ruling against Semanza’s application for early release By Moses Gisa Survivors of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi have commended the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT)’s ruling to reject Genocide convict Laurent Semanza’s request to be released from prison before completion of his 35-year jail sentence in Benin.

Genocide convict Semanza’s early release application was rejected by the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT).

As seen on the IRMCT’s website, the court’s presiding judge Carmel Agius ruled that reasons given by Semanza’s lawyer in his July 26, 2018 and March 16, 2020 applications were inappropriate given the gravity of Semanza’s crimes. “For the foregoing reasons and pursuant

to Article 26 of the Statute, Rules 150 and 151 of the Rules, and paragraph 19 of the Practice Direction, I hereby deny Semanza’s Application for early release,” reads Agius’s verdict. “We welcome the court decision to reject Semanza’s early release application. Releasing him would have been a compromise to justice of both victims and survivors of the Genocide,” a Genocide survivor commented on Twitter.” Judge Agius affirmed that Semanza as a convict of genocide, murder, and extermination as crimes against humanity was not eligible for early release upon

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NEWS

Issue no 011 September 2020

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having served two-thirds of the sentence. On the aspect of Semanza’s state of health, the judge mentioned that there was no indication of his health being in danger that would make it inappropriate for him to remain in prison any longer.

and in violation of the legal framework.

The Government of Rwanda had raised concerns about Semanza’s early release from prison.

Rwanda had also aired its concerns on Semanza’s release that it would become an impediment to the country’s reconciliation process since Semanza does not appear to appreciate the gravity of his crimes and the fact that there was lack of acceptance of responsibility of the crimes for which he was convicted.

Rwanda’s submissions requested that his application should be denied owing to the fact of the gravity of his crimes and the irreparable psychological harm his release would create for his numerous victims and survivors of his crimes. Rwanda considered his application as premature

“Semanza’s new development manifests the IRMCT’s course to deliver justice to the Genocide victims. It should serve as a lesson to people like Theodor Meron, the former president of International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda-ICTR whose tenure was marked by granting freedom to

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Genocide perpetrators before completion of their jail terms,” said a legal expert.

Col Tharcisse Muvunyi, Michel Bagaragaza, and Col Aloys Simba.

Meron had been on the spot over his biased rulings which portrayed him as a Genocide denier who belittled the Genocide. During his reign as president of the ICTR, Theodor released notorious genocide convicts as Juvenal Rugambarara, who replaced Semanza at Mayor of Bicumbi, Paul Nsengimana, former Mayor of Gikoro, the duo conspired with Semanza to plan and execute the Tutsi massacres. Others include Ferdinand Nahimana, Father Emmanuel Rukundo, Col Alphonse Nteziryayo, Gerard Ntakirutimana, Captain Innocent Sagahutu, , Omar Serushago,

On May 15, 2003 Semanza was convicted on five counts of genocide, crimes including murder, torture, and rape by the ICTR, which sentenced him to 25 years imprisonment. When he appealed the court’s verdict in 2005 his sentence was increased to 35 years and 6 months. Semanza was the former mayor of Bicumbi Commune, now Rwamagana District. He masterminded the massacres of Tutsi in Mwulire. He was convicted of taking part in killings at Ruhanga and Musha churches, and Mabare Mosque.

Rusesabagina’s allies move to play sympathy card as they mudsling authorities of Rwanda By Fred Gashema A group called ‘Rwanda Bridge Builders’ – which is an umbrella of genocide deniers and negationists, as well as terrorist organizations – last week issued a joint statement in which they tried to sanctify Paul Rusesabagina, recently arrested for terrorism. They accused the Rwandan Government of “carrying terror activities on Rwanda’s territory and abroad”. Their move, however, is seen by many as playing the sympathy card as members of the coalition “are frightened that they will end up facing justice in Rwanda just like it has happened with Rusesabagina.” With 38-member signatories that include even representatives of Rusesabagina’s MRCD-Ubumwe, and Kayumba Nyamwasa’s RNC among others, the statement was first published by Commandonepost, one of the anti-Rwanda propaganda websites sponsored by the Ugandan regime. Uganda, observers of regional politics know, supports most of the groups of the so-called Rwanda Bridge Builders. The statement claimed that “Government of Rwanda has kidnapped Rusesabagina”, yet Rwandan authorities have shed significant light on circumstance under which the man was arrested.

In a televised talk show with RBA shortly after the arrest of Rusesabagina, President Kagame explained Rusesabagina “willingly brought himself to Rwanda and there was never any wrongdoing in his apprehension.” Neither has Rusesabagina in any of the interviews he has given said that he was a victim of kidnap.

tives have been exposed as false over many years. The story of Rusesabagina as “a brave man” that saved 1200 Tutsi refugees at the Mille Collines hotel has been denounced as completely false by people that were there. “It is just a Hollywood creation,” Senator Odette Nyiramirimo who was there recently said.

In the statement, the anti-Rwanda’s groups tried to sanitize Rusesabagina as a “brave man” that used to work tirelessly to fight what they called “injustice” which they alleged is perpetrated against Rwandans by the current government. But all these narra-

Also, contrary to the groups’ assertions, Rusesabagina has admitted sponsoring FLN militia with 20,000 Euros as part of 300,000 Euros he had raised for the same terrorist militias that are responsible for terror attacks that claimed lives of unarmed and

innocent civilians in South-West parts of the country in 2018 and 2019. This is while Belgian authorities were also investigating the Rusesabagina case for money transactions to the terrorist militias. Social media users were quick to mock the statement by Rwanda Bridge Builders, stressing that partisans of the coalition were very frightened by increasing arrests of their big fishes, most notably the arrests of the likes of Rusesabagina and Félicien Kabuga the chief financier of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi.

Gilbert Mwenedata, a failed politician is among the pioneers of ‘Rwanda Bridge Builders’ engaging in mudslinging the Rwandan leadership.

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NEWS

Issue no 011 September 2020

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Ugandan sues Rwanda over “border closure”; he should sue his government instead By Patience Kirabo Ugandan websites such as The Independent and Commandonepost have given prominence to reports that “a panel of three Judges in the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) that was hearing Steven Kalali’s case has questioned the honesty of Rwanda’s government.” Kalali is reported to be a Ugandan lawyer that sued Rwanda allegedly for closing its borders. Websites like Commandonepost are known to be financed by Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military intelligence (CMI) in an ongoing propaganda war against Rwanda. They are known to publish stories against Rwanda with no facts to back them up, such as the claim that it is Rwanda that closed the border,

though it is Uganda through its security agencies harassment of Rwandan nationals in the form of illegal arrests, and illegal incarceration incommunicado and torture that led to closure of the border. The Independent is known to belong to Museveni’s advisor and propagandist, Andrew Mwenda.

CMI itself, and other Kampala security organs.

Commandonepost proceeds with claims that “the actions of Rwanda by closing its border have infringed on the rights and freedoms of its people, and those in neighboring countries.” Observers, however, know that contrary to claims like this, the rights of Rwandan nationals traveling, working, studying, and residents in Uganda were violated in so many ways through abuses inflicted by the likes of

The rights and freedom of Rwandans were infringed since 2017 when Rwandans and Ugandans of Rwandan descent were persecuted in every corner of Uganda although the EAC protocol stipulates that they should not be detained provided they are citizens of a member state with proof of their nationality by a national ID or other forms of travel documents.

“How can we disregard how movements of Rwandans in Uganda were constrained through all the harassment, and inhuman dumping of tortured Rwandans at the borders?” asked a reader.

Obviously when Kalali went to sue Rwanda in the EACJ, he might be thinking that the court would merely disregard all the abuses and injustices that Rwandans, citizens of an EAC state, have suffered in Uganda, but it doesn’t work like that, said a social media account. The harassment and torture of her citizens prompted the government of Rwanda to advise her citizens from going to Uganda because their safety and security were not guaranteed once there. “Commandpost or The Independent and others should let the courts do their job, and desist from injecting their biased commentary in the proceedings,” said an observer that read their articles.

Uganda is answerable for violations of the rights of countless Rwandan nationals. Pictured above is a group of Rwandans that earlier this year was rescued from Ugandan dungeons.

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OP-ED

Issue no 011 September 2020

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Presidents Museveni and Ndayishimiye frustrating President Félix Tshisekedi’s efforts to stabilize the region By Jean Gatera A Kampala website, Commandonepost, has published an article that casts aspersions on an invitation by DRC President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo to fellow regional heads of state for a mini-summit in his country. On the Fourth of this month the DRC President invited his counterparts, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi and Angola’s Joao Laurenco to a summit in Goma. According to Jolino Makelele, President Tshisekedi’s spokesperson, the summit was to focus on peace and security and also intends to discuss relations among invited countries. However, in the article that came out Friday, September 11th, 2020 in the evening in Commandonepost – a website run by one Bob Atwine and that is one of the many propaganda outlets under the control of Ugandan Military Intelligence, CMI – they floated the claim that “President Museveni might not be able to make it to the summit for security reasons.” The Commandonepost article followed information in the media that Burundi would not be able to attend the mini-summit “due to tight schedule by its senior leaders.” Burundi also stated that it was planning in the near future, “to hold a bilateral meeting with the DRC government at the Ministerial level, to discuss on issues of security along the Burundi-DRC borders, economic exchanges between the two countries, management of Covid-19 along their common border, and other matters of mutual interest.” Back to Uganda, any observer of security trends in the region will be aware that a summit on relations between states in the region would soon focus on the many Congo-based illegal armed groups that have been the main cause of regional instability, all of which have one common denominator: they are sponsored by the Kampala regime.

Ugandan President Museveni do not seem interested in initiatives to foster stability in the region.

It has long been exposed that groups such as Kayumba Nyamwasa’s RNC, which had bases in the Minembwe region of eastern DRC before they were routed mid last year, as well as FDLR, RUD-Urunana and other terrorist outfits all are Kampala proxies. Confessions collected from captured terrorists like Maj. (Rtd) Habib Mudathir of RNC, captured alive in June last year together with two dozen of his men, implicate Uganda in sponsoring regional terrorism. Another example is five captured RUD-Urunana terrorists, of those that attacked Kinigi District in Northern Province last year, killing 14 civilians before 19 of them were put out of action. The attack had originated from areas of DRC bordering Uganda, and the four that managed to escape fled to Uganda. The captured suspects said the attack was coordinated by a high-ranking Ugandan official, Regional Coop-

eration Minister Philemon Mateke. These only are a couple of examples to show that Museveni would be extremely uneasy sitting in a room full of leaders, most likely to be put on the spot as the main cause of regional instability. One does not go far into Commandonepost’s piece, titled “Why it is risky for President Museveni to fly to DRC for Goma summit”, to realize that the concocted smears against Rwanda are a means to deceive the easily deceived as to why the Ugandan President is wriggling out of the summit – even as they insult DRC (indirectly) in the process. “Security experts have raised concerns about the safety of President Museveni and his entourage in case he is to fly to Goma or travel by road,” says the website. Soon the scapegoating

of Rwanda starts. “It is very risky to fly to Goma because it means flying near Rwanda or flying over areas with FARDC military barracks because they are also ‘highly infiltrated by Rwandan agents or sympathisers within the Congolese army.” With this childish smear against Rwanda, the Kampala propagandists also imply DRC authorities too would be involved in the imaginary plans “to assassinate” their president Museveni. It doesn’t stop there. Commandpost says even if Museveni opted to fly straight to Kinshasa, and from there to Goma, Kinshasa’s Ndjili Airport too allegedly is in Rwandan hands. That’s Ugandan propaganda. According to them, the Congo isn’t a sovereign nation but rather something like a colony of Rwanda!

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OP-ED

Issue no 011 September 2020

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and reluctant to sit in the same room as the other heads of state Kinshasa has invited. But to save face his propagandists again turn to anti-Rwanda smears, which have become very old by now. According to sources, in a meeting of experts that took place in Goma on 10th this month, Uganda was represented by a huge delegation of over twenty people including among others its Ambassador to Kinshasa James Mbahimba, UPDF Deputy Chief of Defense Staff Lt. Gen. Wilson Mbadi Mbasu, its defense attaché to Kinshasa Brig. Olum Dick Prit, and the third secretary in Uganda’s Embassy in Kinshasa, Lucy Kakwano. The Presence of Lt. Gen. Mbadi Mbasu signals something bigger than preparations for the summit. Mbadi has been fully involved in pushing for Uganda’s interests in DRC, and asking for the deployment of UPDF in eastern DRC. Furthermore, a visit to Kinshasa by a special envoy of President Museveni in the fourth week of July 2020 met with President Tshisekedi, with whom they discussed the security situation on the border between Uganda and the DRC, and reiterated Uganda’s desire to deploy in eastern DRC “as the only way to improve relations between the two countries.”

Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye >> From page 5

Ignoring all diplomatic good sense and common practice that the security of participants to a summit is guaranteed by the organizers, Commandonepost decides to deliberately undermine the Congolese president’s authority. To push its anti-Rwanda propaganda further, Commandonepost instead exposes its intentions to mislead, for instance claiming that the chief of the Congolese Police is one Bisengimana (which they do because the name sounds Rwandan). Yet this is someone who was replaced three years ago.

involved in the Luanda Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in August last year by Presidents Kagame and Museveni as part of efforts to normalize bilateral relations between Uganda and Rwanda would be another reason for Museveni to fear attending the Goma summit. A review of the Luanda MoU would pin Uganda for failing to implement the measures Kampala is obliged to, to normalize relations.

Deceptively, CommandPost also attributes to Rwanda several armed groups operating in Congo. Yet, according to the UN, they are the very groups backed by Uganda.

In the previous quadripartite Heads of State summit held in February 2020 at Gatuna-Katuna (Rwanda-Uganda border), Uganda made several commitments in the Luanda MoU framework. In subsequent ministerial implementation committee reviews, the verdict is that by constantly taking a step forward and two steps back, Uganda has failed to honor the Luanda MoU.

The presence of heads of state

Kampala has not implemented

basic commitments that only require political goodwill, such as releasing all Rwandans illegally detained in Uganda and dismantling anti-Rwanda networks operating from Uganda. Ever since the Gatuna-Katuna summit, reports actually indicate Uganda has stepped up its backing, and facilitation of anti-Rwanda groups.

According to our source that interacted with both Ambassador Mbahimba and Lt. Gen. Wilson Mbadi (the UPDF Deputy Chief of Defense Forces of UPDF), Uganda is only interested in controlling eastern DRC, and continues attempts to destabilize Rwanda and DRC though more active support to its proxy armed groups.

Although Uganda for instance claims to have deregistered a pseudo-NGO called Self-Worth Initiative, its leaders Prossy Bonabaana and Sula Nuwamanya continue to operate freely, carrying out mobilization and recruitment of elements working to destabilize Rwanda. Also, apart from releasing around 130 Rwandans that had been illegally detained in Uganda, many more remain in similar illegal detention in Ugandan dungeons.

According to the source, Uganda is trying all means to secure DRC approval for UPDF presence in the east of the country – which would then serve as a cover for continued support of the illegal armed groups it backs, from Ituri, Beni to Rutshuru and extend to South Kivu.

These all are reasons why Museveni would be very nervous,

These armed groups include CODECO, FDLR, M23 of Col Makenga that will link up with Banyamulenge groups of Col. Michel Rukunda aka Makanika, and RNC in South Kivu, in Uganda, and Burundi.

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PROFILE

Issue no 011 September 2020

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Profile: Ndereyehe temporarily evades justice, but survivors are confident it won’t be forever others. But in the refugee camps he and the others kept the genocide agenda alive.

By Mary Cyusa It was all good news to Genocide survivors when fugitive Charles Ndereyehe Ntahontuye alias Karori was arrested by The Netherlands Government earlier this month on September 8. The good news, however, didn’t last as Ndereyehe was released hours later, for reasons unknown. “We thought that we would finally learn where our loved ones were thrown in ISAR, but we have hope that it is not over, because the arrest warrant is still valid,” a Genocide survivor who knows Ndereyehe told this website.

In 1992, together with Ex-FAR soldiers that include Lt Col BEM Juvenal Bahufite, Col Joseph Murasampongo, Maj Aloys Ntabakuze and Gen Augustin Bizimungu, Ndereyehe created the ‘Rally for the Return of the Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda’ (RDR) in Mugunga, DR Congo.

Ndereyehe has since April 20, 2010 been subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the Government of Rwanda. His arrest was temporarily suspended on the technicality that “he had been unfairly deprived of his Dutch citizenship.” Living in Harderwijk in The Netherlands, Ndereyehe acquired Dutch citizenship through naturalization. Born in 1949, Ndereyehe is an agronomist by training. All his life he was known for his hatred of the Tutsi. “He started his Genocide agenda way before he got appointed as director of ISAR Rubona. When he was still in Gikongoro, Ndereyehe was one of the public servants in charge of the Interahamwe militia in that area. Even now, his mindset of hate remains the same,” a Diaspora source told us. In 1992, Ndereyehe with other intellectual extremists: Nahimana Ferdinand, Dr Rwamucyo Eugène, Dr Nshimyumuremyi Jean Berchmas created a group, Cercles des Républicains Progressistes (CRP) that incited students in the former National University of Rwanda in Butare and Nyakinama to plan and execute the Genocide against Tutsi. He was the founding president of the group. In the same year, Ndereyehe, who was a member of MRND party, quit in order to participate in the creation of another extremist group: the infamous Coalition pour la Défense de la République (CDR), alongside other

Notorious Genocide Mastermind Charles Ndereyehe is wanted by the Rwandan justice over Genocide crimes.

extremists. One of them is Hassan Ngeze who was a journalist at Kangura, best known for publishing the “Hutu Ten commandments” that forbid every Hutu person to be involved with a Tutsi, even in marriage and business. CDR supported and promoted the “commandments”. They also had a paramilitary faction called “Impuzamugambi” that always attacked other parties with bombs and grenades. “That is the kind of man he is! The way MRND was violently treating Tutsi people was not enough for him and his colleagues. They wanted more, they wanted the Genocide as soon as possible,” a source that that knew Ndereyehe in those days says. Ndereyehe planned to kill every Tutsi staff, and had fired non-extremist Hutus at ISAR. He also planned to kill the people who lived around the area. Some militia had been trained on his command. 1994 came, and the Genocide he craved started. On Ndereyehe’s

command, more than 300 people were killed on April 26, 1994. And in May, he heard of Jean Kambanda’s ‘auto-defense civile’, where arms were distributed to Hutu extremists, and got interested. Ndereyehe then ordered a 20 percent salary reduction from each employee at ISAR to fund a scheme whereby whoever disarmed an RPF soldier and brought back their weapon would receive a reward of Frw 10,000. He had been rewarding the ‘best performers’ a cow. “Obviously the poor people that tried such a thing badly regretted!” laughs a survivor that knows of it. “The RPF was giving ex-FAR and Interahamwe a bloody nose; how could village civilians try?” Apparently Ndereyehe was only embezzling their funds but, as a senior genocide ideologue, he was very feared. When the ex-FAR and the genocidal regime were routed, Ndereyehe fled to Zaire, to the North Kivu Province with multitudes of

The RDR was to replace the ‘Abatabazi’ government that executed the genocide, and was tasked with continuing its agenda. Ndereyehe was made its President. In 1992, together with Ex-FAR soldiers that include Lt. Col. “BEM” Habyarimana, Juvenal Bahufite, Col Joseph Murasampongo, Maj Aloys Ntabakuze and Gen Augustin Bizimungu, Ndereyehe created the “Rally for the Return of the Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda” (RDR) in Mugunga, DR Congo. In 1998, RDR changed its name to ‘Republic Rally for Democracy in Rwanda’ and Victoire Ingabire was appointed its coordinator in The Netherlands. In the same year, Union des Forces Democratiques Rwandaises (Rwandan Democratic Forces Union (UFDR) was formed, where RDR was a member together with Faustin Twagiramungu’s FRD. Even in the Netherlands they kept their extremist agenda alive. There, Ndereyehe became the deputy executive secretary of the union of democratic forces (UFDR), and after six years, the name was changed to FDU-Inkingi. In a case of like father like offspring, his daughters Solange and Gloria Ndereyehe are said to be taking the baton from him, according to our sources in The Netherlands. “But Ndereyehe cannot evade justice forever. People know the crimes he committed; the world knows this man, and he must pay for all the lives lost at his command,” associations of genocide survivors assert.

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REGIONAL

Issue no 011 September 2020

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Now CMI misinformation tries to spin Joan Kagezi’s assassination upon Rwanda By Jean Gatera Through Bob Atwine’s Commandonepost, one of its outlets of misinformation, Ugandan Military Intelligence (CMI) once again tries to deflect upon Rwanda a crime committed by the Ugandan regime. This is not unusual in the propaganda wars of the Kampala regime against Rwanda, which not surprisingly CMI is in charge of. In their latest attempt at mudslinging Rwanda, they create an imaginary “Rwandan assassin” whom they give the name “Amazon” and claim it is this “person” that assassinated the late Senior Principal State Attorney Joan Kagezi. This fictitious man, “Amazon”, according to Commandonepost, regularly hops across the border into DRC after “assassinating Ugandans”, then goes to Kigali via the Congolese route. After some months, according to this tall tale, this fictitious assassin then crosses back to Uganda, to finish off yet another person. The problem for Commandonepost with this tale however is that not even the most dimwitted person will fall for it. Ugandans know very well who is killing them. They for instance know very well who sent assassins in 2018 to Arua to finish off Bobi Wine, only to kill his hapless driver Yassin Kawuma. They know this individual’s stories in the wake of the Kagezi killing, and those old enough know the pattern since the day former energy minister Andrew Kayiira died in 1987. Initially Uganda Police stated that the Kagezi assassins were from a terrorist Islamic militia known as ADF. Then in 2018, Chimpreports, a similar outlet to Commandonepost and which too is controlled by CMI even quoted Museveni blaming ADF for the various assassinations in Uganda. Museveni was quoted saying: “investigations will be carried out and the criminals will be brought to book.” Security forces arrested seven individuals whom they said were suspects. As it turned out, none of them was convicted for any crime. Supposed investigations in the

Kagezi assassination in 2015, just like all other investigations in killings of prominent Ugandans, hit a dead end. Usually there is a lot of vowing from State House such as: “all resources will be utilized to resolve this killing! The killers will be brought to justice!” After a week or so, things go quiet, and the incident is soon forgotten. But occasionally, to suit the Regime’s propaganda needs, the public will hear that “the investigation is ongoing!” Or claims such as Commandonepost, that “an assassin paid by Rwanda killed Kagezi.” The gruesome murder of Kagezi however bore all the hallmarks of a state-sanctioned assassination: gunmen on motorbikes that strike even in broad daylight, and get away unimpeded. Later on what follows is hasty arrests of “suspects” that are taken away by CMI, to its dungeons. These people will be beaten and tortured in different ways, to make them “confess”. It invariably turns out that they know nothing. They are eventually released, but of course the initial purpose will have been served – which is Ugandan authorities pretense that “they are investigating the crime.”

The killing of Uganda Police Spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi in 2017 followed the pattern of motorbike-mounted killers who confidently gun down high-profile Ugandans then calmly ride away. There was a big outcry after the killing. Museveni went public to insinuate that “a neighboring country” was involved. The public in Uganda has been conditioned to know that when the Ugandan president says “a neighboring country” he means Rwanda. Suspiciously however, state operatives supposedly investigating the Kaweesi assassination even removed footage from CCTV cameras in a supermarket in the Kulambiro neighborhood, not far from Kaweesi’s residence. They never explained what happened to that footage. Observers are certain the cameras captured the appearance of the killers. In 2018, yet another senior police officer was killed in a similar fashion. DPC Muhammad Kirumira who openly dared to fight police corruption was also assassinated. Kirumira’s killing, once again, followed the established mode of employing bike-riding

assassins, promises by the ruler of “investigations”, claims about “a neighboring country”, and that was that. Ugandans mourned Kirumira, like they had mourned so many other dear departed countrymen that had ever dared stand up to Museveni, going all the way back to Andrew Kayiira in 1987. Following Kirumira’s death, the Ugandan president, who “rushed” three hours after the killing surprisingly took with him two witnesses for their “safety”. No one ever heard of what happened to those two witnesses. Many analysts have for a long time wondered about all these high-profile assassinations and the fact that despite the state having all investigative bodies, and all the tools at its disposal not one murder is ever resolved. Not one person is ever convicted. “The answer is that the killings are done at the orders of Museveni, no one else,” commented a Kampala based long-time newspaper reporter who preferred not to be named. He says however much the Ugandan president tries to blame “a neighboring country”, or however the methods of CMI-funded websites to create none existent Rwandan assassins, “Ugandans know who is killing them. It is their own regime.” The claims Commandonepost insinuating that Rwanda killed Kagezi will cause many to ask: is Rwanda also responsible for killing Kayiira? Is Rwanda responsible for the fact ever since 1987 politically motivated killings have rocked Uganda such as those of senior Muslim clerics, senior army officers like the late Brig. Nobel Mayombo, Gen. Aronda, Gen. Kazini, MP Ibrahim Abiriga, and so many others?

The late Joan Kagezi; responsibility for her death is squarely on the Ugandan regime

“Of course Kagezi too was assassinated by the same forces killing all these other Ugandans, but scapegoating Rwanda is never below the surface,” our source added.

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