STRATEGY OF TERROR IN SOUTHERN KIVU

[anb-bia <anb-bia@village.uunet.be>]

Please find here the English version of the last communique fo SIC / Southern-Kivu RDC
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STRATEGY OF TERROR IN SOUTHERN KIVU.

While the UN is busy demilitarising the town of Kisangani to provide
security to the population, a real terror seems to be deliberately
maintained in the Southern-Kivu Province. It has been observed that the
target zone lies within a semi-circle around Bukavu, capital of the
Province, extending from Kalehe, 60km to the north of Bukavu, and spreading
down to Uvira, 120km to the south. This zone goes through Kalonge -80km
north-west, Kabare - 25km south-west, Nyangezi -25km south-west, Kaziba -
55km south-west and the whole of the Ruzizi valley, 60km south of Bukavu
along the border with Rwanda and Burundi.

According to witnesses, the culprits of these recent tragic events are
armed, dressed in military uniforms and speak either Kinyarwanda or
Kiswahili. Everywhere they leave their traces : corpses, sometimes just one,
as a sort of a signature.

RCD official sources blame the Interahamwe and Mai-Mai for all these
attacks, whereas people ask themselves : « who benefits from all this
violence ? ». It if is true Interahamwe seeking the necessary for their
up-keep in the forest, what is the politico-military authority in Southern
Kivu waiting for in order to act efficiently to « free the people from these
negative forces ? »,as the Lusaka Agreement insists in Article N° 22. As the
authorities don’t seem to do anything, is it likely that it is a
politico-military strategy which allows the negative forces to operate
freely in the region, or manipulates them? Moreover, the Rwandan Patriotic
Army uses several Hutu soldiers currently incorporated in its army, and
operating in Congo.

Paul Kagame clearly expressed his intention to occupy the Congolese
territories bordering Rwanda to Mr Louis Michel, Belgian Minister of Foreign
Affairs, during his visit to Rwanda on the 6th anniversary of the genocide.
Mr Marc Reynebeau states this in the KNAK magazine on April 12th 2000.

This occupation plan seems to be confirmed by the latest appointments of the
army commanders in Southern-Kivu. Near the common borders between Congo,
Rwanda and Burundi, they appointed Rwandan and Banyamulenge commanders and
their troops, whereas Congolese troops and their commanders are sent far
away inside the country towards the battle field.

The following is a non exhaustive list of commanders and their appointments
:

For the Bukavu region :
1) MACHUMU Augustin (Rwandan) : commander of the Rwandan troops.
2) KASEREKA Etienne (Congolese) : commander of the Congolese troops.
3) KOMBULENGE Willy (Congolese) : commander at the Head Quarters.
4) AMULI Claude (Congolese) : commander of town of Bukavu.The latter was
transferred to Kalemie, over 400km south of Bukavu on May 3rd 2000 and
replaced by a Rwandan commander named KAZULA.
5) UKETI Charles (Congolese) : commander in Walungu (40km south-east of
Bukavu).He has been transferred to Kamituga, 175km west of Bukavu) on May
3rd and replaced by a Munyamulenge commander named Alexis .
6) RUZIBIZA Charles (Rwandan or Munyamulenge) : commander at Kalonge (80km
north-west of Bukavu).
7) In Shabunda zone (345km west of Bukavu), the Rwandan commander has just
been replaced by a Congolese.
8) RUTAKAZA Serge (Congolese) : Saio Camp’s commander in Bukavu town. He was
transferred to Kalemie on May 3rd 2000.We do not know his substitute yet.
9) IMBABAZI Alexis (Rwandan) : commander at Kavumu airport (65km north of
Bukavu) and also at Bunyakiri (90km north-west of Bukavu).
10) KAZUNGU (Rwandan) : commander of Kalehe (65km north of Bukavu)and also
of Idjwi Island.
11)RUHETABACHUMU Eugène (Rwandan): commander of Nyangezi (25km south of
Bukavu) and of Kaziba at 55km in the same direction).
12) BUGEMA John (Rwandan) : commander of the Rwandan battalion stationed at
Saio Camp (Bukavu).
13) BYISHI Elias (Rwandan) : the security commander.
14) KAZULA, DAVID, BISETSA : are all commanders, “flying” officers operating
on the spot.

Uvira region :
1) KAVUNDERI Wenceslas (Rwandan or Munyamulenge) : commander of Uvira
military zone.
2) HERNEST Serieux (Rwandan or Munyamulenge) : Rusenga commander (90km south
of Uvira).
3) NYAMUSEBA Aron (Rwandan or Munyamulenge) : Ruzizi Valley commander
(opposite the Burundian border).
4) BISETSA (Rwandan or Munyamulenge) : Minembwe commander in the Highland
near Uvira.
5) BUTERA (Burundian) : Uvira town commander and of the burundian troops in
Baraka and Fizi.

It is noticed that the replacement of the Congolese soldiers by the Rwandan
or the Banyamulenge ones coincides with the increase of violence,looting and
killings in the areas they control.

What could be the result of the actual break out of violence?
This violence willingly nurtured by the so called Interahamwe would only
serve as an excuse  for the creation of the “zone tampon=strategic zone” on
the Congolese territory facing Rwanda, officially to protect its borders but
in reality it is to create a colony that Rwanda would exploit under the
domination of its troops and with the blessing and the silent consent of the
international community.

We are urgently appealing to the International community and especially to
the United Nations, asking them to come to the rescue of our terrorised,
humiliated, impoverished people left to die a slow death due to misery and
destitution. If it was absolutely essential to find a solution for the
exploding situation in Kisangani town, it is more than time to rush to
rescue the Kivu population, that is being exterminated little by little.
We request that MONUC come and facilitate the withdrawal of the foreign
troops as well as ensure the security of these people that no one seems to
care for, before it is too late!

June 5th 2000

Congolese Independent Source
C.I.S.
(Source Indépendante du Congo).
S.I.C
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