Rebels of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) Sunday morning retook the strategic Rumangabo barracks from government forces for the second time in less than three weeks. They have also cut off the Goma-Rutchuru route which is the main supply route for the FARDC from Goma. According to reliable sources, the rebels launched a lightning dawn attack on the barracks sending the combined forces of the government army (FARDC) and their FDLR allies in disarray in the Virunga National Park. By the time we went to press, fighting was still reported at Karengera where the government’s 6th brigade is located. FARDC also lost the strategic position of Rugari thereby giving CNDP complete aerial control. FDLR (Forces Démocratique pour la Libération du Rwanda) are remnants of the former Rwandan army (ex-FAR) and the Interahamwe militia responsible for the 1994 Genocide of Tutsis. Rumangabo barracks first fell into the hands of the rebels on October 7 but they later handed it over to UN peacekeepers (MONUC) after a meeting between rebel leader Gen. Laurent Nkunda and the EU special envoy in the region, Ambassador Van de Geer at Kilorirwe in Masisi territory, on conditions that the army base remains a buffer zone. CNDP later accused MONUC of handing the barracks to FARDC.Rebel sources said the retaking of the barracks was in retaliation to a series of attacks by a combined force of four FARDC/FDLR; two battalions from the FARDC’s 2nd Brigade and another from the 9th were joined by FDLR’s 3rd battalion commanded by Lt. Col. Mark Ndinzimihigo who was also the overall commander of the operation. Our sources in Goma revealed that FDLR had been taking a more active role in the fighting in recent weeks because the morale of FARDC had been dealt a severe blow over recent losses. There is also suspicion within the FARDC ranks that some among them are collaborating with the enemy. The FARDC is co-located with FDLR in several locations; Gikuku, Tongo and Nyanzare of Masisi where FDLR 1st battalion (Bn) is collocated and supports the 7th, 13th and the 15th FARDC brigades, The FDLR reserve brigade is also co-located with FARDC’s 8th and 14th Bns in Kalehe and Minova. The 2nd Bn of the FDLR is also fighting alongside the 81st brigade of the FARDC at Nyabyondo. Ends
