Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information (Kigali)
10 January 2008
Kigali — Rwandan rebels alleged to be pillaging the jungles of DR Congo have said they are different from the ex-government soldiers, the Genocide militias and other forces, RNA reports.
Disaciate the FDLR from other existing armed groups or that have existed - the FDLR have nothing to do with the Ex-FAR, interahamwe, rastas, RUD-Urunana etcera, says a statement from the rebels that are at the centre of ongoing region chaos.
In a document addressed to the congolese people, the DRC government, MONUC (UN Mission in the country), African Union, the United States, Britian and the EU, as well as the media, the rebels claim to be a 'politico-military movement'.
The demand to be branded seperately from its alleged armed collobarators is contained in a what the rebels say is a memorundum to the ongoing inter-congolese conference in Goma - eastern DRC. Following days of uncertianty, the conference started yesterday and Kinshasa government hopes bring diverging voices in restless region to table.
According to existing information, the FDLR has a military wing FOCA with the whole group comprising former government soldiers and Genocide militias. Another group RUD-Urunana is believed to be sympathetic to the cause of the FDLR but has political backing from figures in the United States.
Recently, another offshoot of the FDLR came up in form of the rastas - a brutal force that has raped and pillaged villages with impunity in the areas they operate.
The Rastas are a mysterious gang of dreadlocked fugitives who live deep in the forest, said to wear shiny tracksuits and Los Angeles Lakers jerseys and are notorious for burning babies, kidnapping women and literally chopping up anybody who gets in their way.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Rwanda News Agency/Agence Rwandaise d'Information. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
