The leader of FDLR-RUD the section of the Rwanda’s genocide fugitive group FDLR based in Congo has been confirmed dead after recent heavy confrontations between the groups section based in Walikale at Mashuta and the Mai Mai militias.
According to impeccable sources form the section, Maj. Gen Jean-Damascène Ndibabaje alias Musare died on 8th February after his base was attacked by Mai mai militias leaving the section without a leader.
Sources say that the attacks started in areas of Mukeberwa in northern part of Lubero which were started by Mai Mai Militias from areas of Buleusa in repatriation of the attacks by FDLR that had forced to retreat.
Eye witnesses say that Mai mai attacked MAj Gen Ndibabaje’s base that forced him to flee in the nearby hills to call for support but Mai mai militias according to witnesses laid ambush in which him and his body guard were killed.
“Heavy fighting started in the General’s base where he flee to the hills to call other soldiers for support but mai mai fighters had already reached and killed him,” the eye witness said.
The FDLR is made of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi fugitives who committed atrocities that resulted into massacre of 1 million Tutsis.
Joy Bokele, the head of Lubero Territory told radio Okapi that the fight between FDLR –RUD and Mai Mai claimed many lives of fighters and could not be easy for the territory authorities and international organizations working in the area to establish the numbers.
Nevertheless, Bokele says authorities tried to establish 15 fighters that died on frontline while 5 sustained serious injuries at were taken to Mbwavinywa hospital 20 km from Mukeberwa.
The confrontations between the Mai Mai militias and FDLR-RUD started in Novemebr, 2015 as conflict between Kinyarwanda speaking Congolese and the Bandandi people in the area with the latter accusing the former of allying with FDLR to loot crops and animals.
This lead to Bandandi youth ally with the Mai Mai NDC in Guidon to attack FDLR in Walikale and Lubero.
Meanwhile sources also say the FDLR Foca section based at Rusamambo has already been dismantled with Major general Agaston Iyamuremye alias Rumuli with 100 fighters fleeing to Rutsuru in Makomamarehe.