Two weeks after the carnage of civilians by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) in Goma, military justice is still seeking to establish responsibilities.
At least 51 civilians were killed during a disproportionate intervention against demonstrators from the Uwezo wa neno Mesiani/Wazalendo sect who wanted to take to the streets to demand the departure of MONUSCO and the regional EAC force.
The trial of six soldiers opened at the North Kivu Military Court continues in Goma. Several witnesses point to the republican Gard elements as the perpetrator of the killings.
This Monday again, the Court confronted Colonel Yves Rubenga, commander of the general staff at the 34th Military Region and Colonel Mike Mikombe, commander of the Republican Guard in Goma.
“I arrived at the scene of the tragedy around 8:30 a.m., I had already finished deploying the elements in the hot spots of the city. The civilians were already killed, I saw the Republican Gard elements take away the radio and Bisimwa, the leader of wazalendo,” declared Colonel Yves Rubenga.
He even accused the Republican Gard elements of having disarmed the soldiers who were in command.
“They disarmed us, chased us away and ordered these soldiers to shoot. I repeat, after chasing us away, he ordered his soldiers to shoot. When they saw that people were already dead and others injured, someone came to him (Colonel Mike) and asked him to leave in his vehicle,” he added.
The commander of the Republican Gard, even if he does not confirm the facts attributed to him, justifies the intervention of his unit.
“Those who were planning the march on August 30 in Goma were M23 auxiliaries, we received information that the city was under threat,” he responded to a question from the Military Court.
A new hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Videos widely shared online showed elements of the Republican Guard collecting the bodies of killed civilians and storing them in KAMAZ trucks.
The bodies are still kept in the Katindo military hospital, the provincial hospital and the CBCA/Ndosho hospital. The army has started identifying the bodies which should be handed over to the families for burial.
Claude HATEGEKIMANA
Rwandatribune.com