CONGO-DEM.REPUBLIC 22/6/2004 12:41 SOUTH KIVU CRISIS: COMMANDER OF âDISSIDENTâ SOLDIERS FLEES TO RWANDA General, Brief Colonel Jules Mutebusi, head of the âdissidentâ soldiers protagonists of the violence that since the end of May afflicted Bukavu (provincial capital of South Kivu, east Democratic Republic of Congo) yesterday apparently abandoned the city of Kamanyola (around 40km south of Bukavu), taking refuge in Cyangugu, a Rwandan city along the Congolese border. The news was referred to the French âAFPâ press agency by Rwandan military spokesman Colonel Patrick Karegeya, specifying that Mutebusi is accompanied by 305 of his men, all members of the former Rwandan-backed rebel movement (today part of the government of national unity of Kinshasa) RCD-Goma. The âinsubordinateâ soldiers were all disarmed by the Rwandan military. âWe believe the news to be credible, though for the moment cannot confirm. We are attending results from the verification mission that we sent to Kamanyolaâ, stated to MISNA the military spokesman of the United Nations Mission in DR-Congo (MONUC) Abou Thiam. [BO]
