How to live next door to Rwandan rebels: “You live with them, you work with them. And if they rob you or rape your wife, you keep your mouth shut.”

By Anneke Vebraeken in Goma, DRC

Oleko and Fidel have lived their whole lives next door to members of the Interahamwe, the militia that helped carry out the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The group is accused of rape, murder and plunder in east-Congo in the years after the genocide.

Are the two jobless students afraid of their neighbours in their native village of Ntoto in East-Congo? They shrug their shoulders. They’ve found a way to ‘sell’ their knowledge - they work as Interahamwe-“hunters”.

There are several parties interested in identifying the Interahamwe - the Rwandan government, the Mai Mai (local militia from Kivu) and Monusco (UN peacekeeping mission).

Fidel: “We know exactly where we can find them. Monusco knows their locations as well, but it’s difficult for them to get in touch. Rwandan people don’t know their way around. There’s one Rwandan colonel who we contact to say we’ve found some. As for the Mai Mai - they want to get rid of everything that is Rwandan.”

FDLR forces

The Interahamwe (from the Hutu group) is a paramilitary organization operating under the name “FDLR” (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) for the past eleven years. Seen roaming the woods of the eastern Congo, the militia is held responsible for looting, rape and murder.
The FDLR contains key members of the 1994 genocide, plus Hutu members of the former Rwandan army, as well as a mix of displaced Rwandan Hutus.

Since September last year, the Congolese government has been working with Monusco to repatriate FDLR rebels back to Rwanda. Some of them have been living in east Congo since 1994. They have families and work in the fields. Others are living off the resources of their Congolese neighbours and the wealth generated from the mines.

'Peaceful hunting'

Oleko and Fidel seek out FDLR members in a peaceful way - they try to convince them they have a better future if they return to Rwanda. They show the rebels pictures of Kigali, universities, and beautiful villages. “We say they don’t have to be afraid of trials and judges in Rwanda. If they are innocent, they have nothing to fear. But of course there are a lot of them who committed atrocious things during the genocide and they dare not go back”.

Last year they convinced about 200 Interahamwe to return in this way. They take them and their families to Monusco where they are disarmed and debriefed before being moved on to one of the special centres in Rwanda.

According to Oleko and Fidel, their work is not dangerous. But when asked if I could take their picture they shake their heads. “Rather not. You see, Rwanda is two-faced about this repatriation thing. They prefer to have the officers, but don’t really care for the common soldiers. We even think they prefer them to stay here in Kivu.”