MONUC airlifts doctors to treat ailing FDLR commander

KIGALI - Two doctors facilitated by some officials of the UN mission in DR Congo (MONUC) have entered Congo jungles to treat ailing FDLR commander Maj. Gen. Sylvestre Mudacumura, The New Times has learnt Last week, The New Times broke a story that pinned some MONUC officials who were conniving with FDLR sympathizers and financiers to ensure that the current bed-ridden Mudacumura is treated either from jungles of Congo or be airlifted to a neighboring nation for treatment. “The doctors – Jerome Gasana and Francois Goujon recently arrived in Kisangani and are now either on their way to Lubutu in Walikale or are now with Mudacumura,” a reliable source in DR Congo told The New Times. The source insisted that the movement of these doctors from Europe to Kisangani and now possibly to Walikale had been coordinated by some officials within the peace keeping mission. The highly guarded secret and sensitive operation is being coordinated by one, Christian Manhal – MONUC’s coordinator in East DRC, a reliable source told The New Time. “The question is – does MONUC fight FDLR to have a stable Eastern DRC or they want to maintain their presence there--can MONUC succeed in helping DRC stabilize with such international conspiracy in support of FDLR?” the source questioned. However in a statement MONUC issued of Friday, it denied the allegations saying they were ‘irresponsible and unfounded.’ Critics say the problem with the body is always moving swiftly to refute allegations instead of launching investigations into issues to come up with truth. “They (MONUC) can’t take the hard truth – look, maybe it is not the entire body that is stained – what defeats anyone’s understanding is that they just won’t acknowledge this and launch a probe and rout out the evil in their midst – doesn’t this inaction simply mean that the whole institution is involved in what now looks like an international conspiracy?” the source said. Sources say that Mudacumura is seriously diabetic and in October, approached his MONUC contacts seeking to be airlifted to Congo Brazzaville for treatment. After deliberations and networking, the option of bringing in doctors was the preferred course of action. Manhal is also believed to have been holding secret meetings with the FDLR both in the DRC and Europe, leaking all strategies devised against the rebel group. The FDLR are remnants of ex-FAR and Interahamwe who spearheaded the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and later fled to eastern DRC where they continue to kill, pillage and rape. Ends

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MONUC airlifts doctors to treat ailing FDLR commander