KIGALI - The United Nations on Tuesday formally requested Canada to deny asylum to a senior member of the FDLR currently in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to media reports, the UN deputy administrator, Christian Manahl, who oversees operations in the eastern Congo told Canada’s Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, that her country should help in dismantling the exiled leadership of the militia group. This was during Jean’s visit to Goma in DRC before coming to Rwanda. “We know where they are and we know who they are,” Manahl said without naming the FDLR official in question.Officials noted that the militia group is responsible for slaughtering Tutsis in Rwanda and fleeing to the jungles adding that arresting senior exiled officials will destroy the militia. As part of the related efforts to arrest FDLR members, Germany last year arrested two leaders of the group for war crimes committed in the Congo. Top FDLR official, Ignace Murwanashyaka, and his deputy, Straton Musoni, were arrested and are now in jail in Germany. Manahl, told the Governor General that the mission needs more “logistics, mobility, and intelligence” to be able to protect civilians from the FDLR rebels and other militia groups. It is widely expected that Canadian Gen. Andrew Leslie, will get the nod from Ottawa and members of the Security Council to take over command of the UN mission in Congo, and will bring with him up to 100 top-level officers to support the mission, The Toronto Star reported Wednesday. Ends
