WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — Rebels of the Democratic Forces for Liberation of Rwanda [FDLR], holed up in DR Congo, formerly living in Rubavu district, have been urged to abandon their subversive activities.

The call was made by Gisenyi sector coordinator, Emanuel Mazimpaka, while addressing a security meeting recently. The meeting attracted residents of the seven cells of the Sector, meant to discuss the security situation in the area.

"Some of these rebels are your relatives. Encourage them to come home because the government of national unity is ready to receive them, put them in rehabilitation camps and integrate them with other Rwandans," he said.

He noted that it was high time for even those who participated in the 1994 Genocide to come out of their hideout, and serve their sentences which he said will help them regain their freedom and live freely in their mother land.

Mazimpaka said that returning home was the only solution to the problems, because, he said, fighting the government would not earn them anything. Other issues discussed in the meeting included people’s participation in maintaining security in the district, and drug abuse which he blamed for the increasing crimes in the district.

"As responsible Rwandans, we need to take security as everyone’s responsibility because what happens to your neighbor today, could affect you tomorrow. Two weeks ago in Kivumu cell, he recalled, a thief smashed into a resident’s house and took all his property including a television set and radio. We have had such cases of burglary in many other cells before. I therefore urge you to work hand in hand with the police to curb such crimes."

He called upon leaders of settlements [Imidugudu] to always have records of all visitors and be keen on strangers in their areas.

"You should all be curious about every stranger in the cells you live in. If anyone has a visitor let them be introduced to the local leaders before he spends a night as part of a security precaution for our people and property," he explained.

Mazimpaka noted that with maximum cooperation between residents and security personnel through information sharing, crimes such as robbery, drug trafficking, rape and smuggling can be minimized to zero percent.

He appealed to residents for continuous support towards the construction of the houses for the poor and Genocide survivors in the area. He commended them for their current efforts, saying 12 out of the 15 houses to be given to genocide survivors at the end of this month were complete, while the remaining three will have been completed by the end of this month.

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