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By: Commandpost news outlet
Human rights defenders and civil society organizations in South Kivu province in DR Congo are worried of an ongoing genocide against Banyamulenge minorities in Minembwe being committed by Rwandan army and other rebel groups in the area.
Rwandan Special Forces recently entered South Kivu province claiming that they were pursuing suspected rebels allegedly belonging to Rwandan dissident military General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa.
Gen Nyamwasa a former right hand man of Rwandan leader Paul Kagame has always rubbished claims as baseless and unfounded propaganda by the Kigali regime.
Rwandan critics say the claims are moves by the Kigali establishment aimed at employing scorched earth policy to exterminate the Congolese Banyamulenge who are the Kinyarwanda speaking minorities whom Kigali believes are sympathizers of the anti-Kigali regime.
Civil societies in the area told this website that what is taking place in Minembwe is genocide finance by the Rwandan government against the Banyamulenge.
It is reported that Rwandan military is using the mai mai and the Red Tabara rebels to attack the Banyamulenge communities using scorched earth policy where they burn their houses, food crops and animals with an aim of starving them to death and cause their extinction.
“Currently, the Rwandan special force troops deployed in our area fear to come attack us directly , they stay in the forests but send the mai mai rebels and arm them to come and kill us” One of the survivors of the last week attacks told this website.
It is reported that the violence has not stopped despite the “peace agreement signed in the highlands of Fizi, Uvira and Itombwe in the province of South Kivu.
The attackers are reported to have stepped up their attacks on the Banyamulenge just a day after the peace talks.
At least 350 cows were stolen and four Banyamulenge villages were burnt down last Saturday by Mai – Mai militia in the Itombwe area of Mwenga territory.These were sold in open markets while some are being kept in farms belonging to rival communities.
The militia attacked several villages occupied by members of the Banyamulenge community and raided cows in the villages of Kukwe and Bikuba.
8 families of Banyamulenge were taken hostage by the Mai – Mai according to William Etabo, vice president of civil society Minembwe.
The burned villages are among others, Liuba, Pepe, Bidegu and Kashasha in the territory of Mwenga.
Thousands of people have been displaced since February after the burning of their villages, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the DRC.
The attacks follows after both Rwandan president Paul Kagame and Congolese president Felix Tshisekedi visited each other in the two capitals followed by another visit of Rwandan security to Kinshasa.
It is reported that Tshisekedi whom Rwandan president Kagame had at first called for halting of his election before turning around could have sanctioned the current violence in the troubled South Kivu with clearance of Rwandan military operations.
Congolese government and some military officers have been collaborating directly with Mai Mai militia.
Colonel Katembo Congolese army commander in Minembwe is reported to have been supplying weapons to Mai Mai rebels to kill Banyamulenge.
After Katembo was nabbed supplying arms to Mai Mai by fellow officers, he shot and killed them
This is why one wonders if President Chilombo can even have the courage, except hypocrisy to say to the Banyamulenges as he told the people of Ituri that
Banyamulenge population has been the victim of several episodes of attacks by their neighbors with the complicity of the government since 1964 just after independence and the atrocities are only increasing.
In Brief: Villages burnt by Rwandan army and Mai Mai rebels
1) Ngoma,
2) Kanogo;
3) Kamombo;
4) Kitasha 2;
5) Mikalati 2;
6) Mutenja;
7) Kabara 1 and 2
8) Kakangara;
9) Timbyangoma;
10) Gahwera;
11) Gaseke;
12) Kivumu 2;
13) Rudabagiza;
14) Irumba;
15) Biziba 1 and 2;
16) Kasologotchi;
17) Kabingo;
18) Kakangara 19) ruganirwa;
20) Ruhemba;
21) Nyamiringa;
22) Nyamulombwa;
23) Tulambo;
24) Uwimbogo;
25) Rushasha;
26) Nkango;
27) Nazareth;
28) Bijanda;
29) Gashasha;
30) Kidasi;
31) Kalingi;
32) Kalingi bijumba;
33) Lwiko;
34) Rubemba;
35) Kalingi bethel / 36) mashamba;
37) Monyi;
38) Karongozi;
39) Rutigita;
40) Mashya;
41) Kabingo 1,2 and 3;
42) Rubibi;
43) Gihuha;
44) Mukumba;
45) Rubarati;
46) Kanono;
47) Kuwagahura;
48) Gatoki;
49) Mbundamo;
50) Gashararo;
51) Tchanzovu;
52) Mugogo;
53) Murambya;
54) Kanogo;
55) Masoro;
56) Kagogo;
57) Kirumba;
58) Kajoka;
59) Gongwa;
60) Gahuna;
61) Bikuba;
62) Bikuba;
63) Bakura;
64) Itara.
65) Bugogoma,
66) Rwitsankuku,
67) Ngoma
68) Kabembwe,
69) Mugono,
70) Rutabura
