KIGALI - Last week, a UN draft report alleged  that Rwandan troops committed atrocities against Rwandan refugees in Democratic Republic of Congo, in the  90s, after the outbreak of war in that country. Our reporter Robert Mugabe interviewed legislators who were refugees in the camps then.

In the excerpts, the MPs castigate the report and defend the Rwanda Defence Force’s record.

MP Marie Rose Mureshyankwano

In 1994, I left Rwanda and fled to the former Zaire, now DRC through Bukavu. I lived in Kishusha refugee camp and worked in Adi-Kivu camp. 
Interahamwe and French soldiers helped us to flee, telling us that the approaching RPA (now RDF) soldiers would kill us. 

No Hutu civilians were murdered in Kishusha, Adi-Kivu camps in the process of repatriation in 1996 or before.
The United Nations report has documented lies and the reality is many people died at Alfagili College due to cholera and I’m not saying this because I’m currently an MP.
 
MP Francoise Mukayisenga

No Hutu civilians were murdered by RPA at Kibumba camp where I lived. Genocide took place when I was 24. We fled to Gisenyi and then went to Congo.
In Kibumba Refugee Camp, many people died due to hunger while others were killed by Interahamwe.

No civilians were murdered. Until now I have failed to understand UN accusations. If they were genocidaires, as the report alleges, I would be dead now because I was in these camps.

MP Fortunate Nyiramadirida lived at Mugunga camp

There were no civilians who died at the hands of RPA.
Those are manipulative fabrications. Look, I am a Hutu, a wife of an ex-FAR officer, why didn’t they kill me when they had a chance to do so?

MP Marie Jose Twizeyeyezu

There were no civilian killings at Biyanse, Kayindo or Rumangabo camps.

We lived in Biyanse camp, and then to Kayindo where EX-FAR led us through the forest to get to Mugunga camp.
I did not see or hear of people who were killed by the RPA troops. I just learnt when I was still in Congo that some Rwandans were killed by Hunde people in Gicanga of DRC.
I actually support the position to pull our troops out of the Sudan if the UN publishes this malicious report.

Ends