FDLR commander surrenders

REBEL:Lt. Col. Idrissa Muradadi corneredA senior commander of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militia, Lt. Col. Idrissa Muradadi, has surrendered in the face of a military offensive by the Congolese army and UN forces.FDRL is an outfit operating mainly in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and it’s composed of elements responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Speaking to The New Times, Jean Sayinzoga, the Chairman of the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), confirmed the development. “He is still in Congo, I am yet to get more details,” said Sayinzoga. DRC Army Commander, Col. Sylvain Ekenge, also confirmed Muradadi’s surrender saying that he turned himself in with three of his bodyguards on March 10. Ekenge said the captive is now in the hands of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) prior to his repatriation to Rwanda. He said Muradadi surrendered because of military pressure.The Congolese army, backed by MONUSCO, launched an offensive on February 15 to hunt down FDLR fighters after a series of attacks by the rebel group. “More than two dozen civilians have been killed by FDLR since New Year’s. The latest attack by the FDLR in South Kivu on Feb. 25 killed 4 civilians and left three others injured,” Ekenge told agencies.“We will continue this offensive until all of the rebels go home”.In the same region, 15 other rebels and 74 of their dependents also turned themselves over to the military, Ekenge said.

National

FDLR commander surrenders