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THE ARMY OF THE REBEL MOVEMENT (RCD) STILL AT ITS WORST AGAINST CIVILIANS
Clashes between the militia mai-mai and the army of the rebel movement RCD continue to take place in the Kaziba area, which is found more or less 55 km from the town of Bukavu. Last month has been characterised by several clashes between these two factions to the Congolese conflict. Soldiers of the rebel movement (RCD) based at Kaziba have been reinforced by other coming from Luhwindja, Mushenyi, Nyangezi, Bukavu and Goma and could now reach a number of 600 men meant to fight the mai-mai militia, which has been particularly active in this area.
One could recall that in its Nota Bene number 86 of April 2001, Heritiers de la Justice reported on similar events that took place in the same area (Kaziba) and its surroundings. Indeed, during all April 2001 violent ferocious clashes occurred between these factions. According to our sources within the RCD, the current RCD's offensive aims to take back military materials as well as telecommunications equipments that the RCD has lost to the Mai-mai during previous fighting, such as that of May the 1st. Displaced civilian populations from the Ntagereka, Kafindjo, Muhumba area, which are found within the sub-district of Kaziba, as well as people from Munyoma in the Bafuliru commune, have reached Mulambi and Kabembe in search for safe heaven. These populations account to have witnessed heavy losses among the soldiers of the rebel movement RCD during previous battles.
At several occasions, RCD's soldiers from Goma were seen arriving in Bukavu. These soldiers were then put on five lorries that headed towards Kaziba. At Kaziba, these soldiers were accommodated at the secondary school known as 'Institut Namurherha'. Our local sources confirm having seen these soldiers burning down the school's furniture's, which had been offered to the school by the British charity 'Save the Children Fund' few months earlier.
Shortly afterwards, the soldiers were seen leaving the school and moved into the building of the local catholic church of Nachihase. There the soldiers broke into private houses, taking with them anything they wanted (foods, domestic animals, etc). They even extorted foods and supplies destined to serve in the local orphan service of the Kaziba hospital.
The following Saturday, day when takes place the 'Katudu' market, the biggest in the week, the same RCD soldiers were seen barricading roads around Chihumba and Mwerwe/Kaziba and extorting civilians on their way to the 'Katudu' market located at the boarder between the village of Kaziba and that of Luhwindja.
It was not until the early hours of the following Sunday that the clash between the RCD's soldiers and the militia mai-mai started in the hills of Kaziba. Our local sources confirmed that bombshells as well as heavy gunfires were heard during all day. The Mai-mai group involved in this clash was said to be under the command of Kalala and Osseni. As a result of these fightings, civilian populations of the villages of Ntagereka, Kafindjo, Mulambi, Muhumba and Ngali lost large quantity of their belongings and livestock.
The day after these clashes, a group of soldiers of the RCD were sent to Bukavu in order to report on the event. On their way, these soldiers went again on rampage, extorting and looting belongings of civilian populations in Mushenyi, and Nyangezi area.
Even in Bukavu, the main town of South-Kivu, the soldiers of the RCD seem far from restraining themselves from violations of human rights against civilians. Last week, a soldier of the RCD threatened to shot someone at a concert by the local musical band known as the 'Quartier de As', which was performing in one of the main platforms of the 'Metropole' Hotel found in the commune of Ibanda/Bukavu.
The soldier involved in this incident reacted the way he did after the concerned civilian refused to give him one US dollar. All the participants to the concert were held to a standstill by the soldier, who threatened to shot anyone making a move. The panic that followed this incident caused important damage to the hotel but none was reported injured or hurt. The local police arrived on the scene few minutes later and allegedly apprehended the soldier.
Heritiers de la Justice condemns the current behaviour of the RCD's soldiers towards the civilian populations and continue to call for justice, an end to impunity and responsibility in the war crimes as well as crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in the Congo.
Heritiers de la Justice
June 2, 6pm
La Reporting on Kivu Villages
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| Baraka | Ville de Bukavu |
Uvira | Luvungi
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|
Nyabibwe | Kitutu | Kalonge | Kaziba
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