I wish to commend Julius Mutarambirwa for his analytical article titled "Kayumba Nyamwasa Fails to Absolve Himself from Links with FDLR” that appeared in the New Times of 5 March 2011. As Mutarambirwa rightly put it, "there is credible intelligence information about the criminal network of Kayumba Nyamwasa and his fellow fugitives including their links with FDLR, other negative forces and individuals as well as their supporters and sympathizers.

In addition, this information is corroborated by confessions from individuals who were apprehended, members of FDLR who laid down their weapons and voluntarily repatriated as well as the revelations from the UN Security Council of Experts’ Report”.

I cannot paint a picture of Kayumba’s character better than what Mutarambirwa did. I want to join Mutarambirwa in stressing that Kayumba is a selfish and opportunistic fellow who cannot fight an open war. It is not surprising that his cadres have been targeting innocent people using grenades. While Mutarambirwa provided a convincing response to the allegations and weak arguments raised by both Kayumaba and Karegyeya using mainly Kayumba’s wicked character, he forgot to touch on Rudasingwa’s history and character.

Some of us who were unfortunate to study with Rudasingwa at Makerere University and to live with him in the same hall [former Lumumba Hall] still remember how Rudasingwa, who initially looked calm, humble and with an innocent face rose up to become an infamous conman, a liar and later deserted Makerere Medical School while in his 2nd year.

Some of us are still haunted by the extortion operation that he personally conceived and executed and which earned him the nickname "REDCOM”. Who can take seriously a person who as early as 1982 could blackmail his fellow Rwandan students including his relatives and members of the Rwandan business community in Kampala by instructing them to deposit large sums of money with a fictitious Mr "REDCOM CX-1200” in return for personal security?

What Rudasingwa was doing in early 1980s is synonymous with what the pirates are currently doing along the coast of the Indian Ocean. The only difference is that he never took any person hostage. Rudasingwa is very good at concealing his wicked character. This is why his criminal scheme was discovered after some credulous victims had paid some ransom.

Who can trust a person who deserted Makerere Medical School in 1982 and fled to Kenya under the guise of being hunted by the Ugandan security operatives? Rwandans who were working in Kenya then as refugees including his half brother, Gerald Gahima still remember how their sympathy for Rudasingwa waned when they discovered that he had run away from Uganda because of the REDCOM saga and high indebtedness resulting from an extravagant and flamboyant lifestyle that he lived and which was far beyond his means.

A number of people who worked with him in Rwanda and in the USA in different capacities still talk about his shoddy and corrupt deals as well as his selfish and opportunistic character. On the other hand, those who grew up with him particularly his relatives posit that Rudasingwa has psychological problems inextricably linked to his unfortunate history and upbringing. Whether this is true or not, Rudasingwa’s history is replete with a lot of question marks that make his credibility questionable.

Yet, this is the man who is talking and writing pro-people language and posing as though he is a clean and upright person with the magic potion for all the problems in Rwanda. Rudasingwa is simply doing so to appease his foreign masters and some disgruntled Rwandans in return for some handouts.

The author is the Defence and Military Spokesman.