Jean-Chrétien Ndagijimana, a son to ‘General’ Wilson Irategeka, the founding commander of FLN militia group has claimed that his father forcefully conscripted him into the outfit that committed terror acts.

Ndagijimana, 24, made the revelation on Wednesday, May 19, before the High Court Chamber for International Crimes sitting in Kigali, while presenting his defence in an ongoing trial involving 21 suspects linked to MRCD-FLN militia outfit.

The suspects who include the outfit’s political figurehead Paul Rusesabagina, are being prosecuted in connection to acts of terrorism committed by FLN, a DRC-based outfit responsible for carrying out terror attacks on Rwandan soil in 2018 and 2019.

He was one of the defendants that were heard by court on the day. These did not have active roles in the terror attacks, and so, they are being charged with two counts: being part of an illegal armed group and entering into a terror group.

Speaking to court, Ndagijimana said his father forced him into the militia at its inception in 2016 when it had just split from FDLR to form CNRD.

"In 2016, when I had just completed high school, I came back home in Faringa (DRC) and found many soldiers there. My father told me that they had broken away from FDLR and had formed a new armed group called CNRD,” he said.

"Later, they issued an order that everyone who was 18 years and above should join the militia. My father forced me to join. I tried to resist, and even my mother tried to stop the plan. But all our efforts were in vain since my father was determined to do it,” he added.

Irategeka was later killed in action by Congolese armed forces.

When presiding judge Antoine Muhima asked Ndagijimana’s lawyer for evidence that shows that his client was forcefully conscripted into the militia, he said that the fact that he (Ndagijimana) had gone to school and completed senior six is proof that his interest was in education, not militia activities.

Emmanuel Nshimiyimana, another suspect who presented his defence on Wednesday also claimed he was conscripted into the FLN militia against his will.

"I was pursuing my studies in Rutshuru (DRC). One day, in 2017, I went to visit my parents in Masisi where they had migrated to. While I was there, CNRD soldiers captured me and conscripted me into the militia,” he said.

In an earlier presentation made by prosecutors, they had pinned Nshimiyimana on willfully joining the outfit, adding that he even held some leadership position within the militia’s ranks.

He refuted this, saying he was only assigned minor roles at various FLN detachments after his training, and this was forceful.

"I could not escape because I was afraid of the grave consequences that this carried. One of the punishments was 300 whips or even death,” he said.

Nshimiyimana was arrested by Congolese authorities in 2018 while at a particular FLN station. He was later extradited to Rwanda.

The case will continue on Thursday, May 20 with more defendants presenting their defence.