Rwandan rebels said recruiting from Zambia, Malawi and Uganda

By RNA Reporter
December 25, 2009

Malawi and Zambia are again under fire from Rwanda with the latest accusations claiming that Rwandan FDLR [Democratic Forces for Liberation of Rwanda] rebels are recruiting combatants from refugee camps in these countries, RNA reports.


Mr Jean Sayinzoga, head of the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), said that the campaign to encourage FDLR combatants to surrender will not stop but instead will be intensified to ensure the rebels continue losing their rank and file.

Mr. Sayinzoga was passing out some 362 former fighters in at Mutobo in Northern Rwanda. The US Ambassador to Kigali was also present at the function.

The Nakivale camp in south western Uganda - with about 17,000 Rwandan refugees was also named as the source of fighters for the rebels. Several UN investigations have also named this camp. Some 6,000 refugees from Nakivale have been repatriated but the remaining have refused.

We have to continue intensifying the reintegration campaign targeting those still in Congolese forests, Sayinzoga told reporters after the Friday pass-out. "What we know is that there are still remaining about 4,000 or 4,500 fighters and they are getting more from camps in Malawi, Zambia and Nakivale."

Government last month almost raised a diplomat spat after it accused the two countries along with Mozambique of disregarding international warrants for Genocide fugitives on their territories.

However, Mr. Sayinzoga said the commission has fully integrated some 8284 combatants since it was established in 2001.

Following the end of financing from the World Bank, Netherlands and Sweden have stepped in. They have both pledged millions of dollars for the commission.

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