57 suspects, majority of who are former members of armed anti-Rwanda militia, will be arraigned in court and charged, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) said.
The suspects, who were arrested in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo at various times, face a number of charges including: terrorism, conspiring to topple a legitimate government, murder and looting, as well as forming and being members of armed groups.
34 of the suspects are former members of militia groups while 23 are civilians, according to the RIB’s acting spokesperson Dominique Bahorera, who added that their files had already been forwarded to the prosecution.
The 34 former militia members come from the P5, RUD-Urunana, CNRD and FDLR groups all which are based in eastern DR Congo, Rwandan publication The New Times reported.
The civilians will be tried in civilian courts while the soldiers will be tried in a military tribunal.
Some of the rebels who spoke to the local media were remorseful about their actions which they perpetrated before their arrests.
Some, like Emmanuel Iyamuremye, a ‘Colonel’ in the CNRD, said the current Congolese administration had come down on them harder than the previous one.
Iyamuremye was arrested by the Congolese army in Uvira region in 2019 while on a trip to visit his wife.
“It’s after I returned home that I realized how weak we were. Considering what I now assess I really regret the time I have lost in life. We were told that we could capture power. It was a big lie. Presently, I only appeal to the few of my former colleagues still in Congo to stop and return home if they ever want to have a chance in life.”
The New Times quoted Iyamuremye as saying that the remaining Rwandan rebel groups in the DR Congo “have no real direction now or fighting capacity.
He added that it was difficult for those remaining across the border to return as they were still held hostage by their superiors.
