The National Refugee Council is set to scrutinise all the applications of the ex-M23 rebels who are seeking asylum in Rwanda after they renounced their rebel activities. The Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Affairs, Seraphine Mukantabana, told The New Times in an interview yesterday that the group will be granted asylum after thorough scrutiny by the council. “The process is going on; we gave them forms and they have not yet returned them. We are still waiting,” she said. According to the official, the former rebels have to apply indicating that they have renounced all the political and rebel activities. In May, this year the ex-combatants renounced rebellion during a meeting with members of the diplomatic missions in Rwanda and international agencies who visited them in Ngoma Interment Camp in Eastern Province. The renouncement is done voluntarily in writing and thereafter all the forms will be verified by the council. An oath form seen by The New Times and signed by former rebel president reads; “I Jean-Marie Rugerero Runiga, hereby willingly genuinely and permanently renounce all political activities that can be associated to armed groups.” “What we want now is to be considered as refugees. We are no longer involved in military and political activities.” Signatory Over 682 ex-rebels are in the camp. The diplomats were on a mission to assess the condition under which the former rebels are living and ascertain more information regarding rumours that some had fled back to DRC to rejoin their former colleagues. Asked whether some members of the group under UN sanctions over alleged atrocities in DRC would be given asylum, Maureen Wanziga, the acting chairperson of National Refugee Council only said the country was a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. Last December, the UN Security Council slapped Brig. Gen Bauduoin Ngaruye and Innocent Kaina, who are among the group with travel ban and asset freeze for their alleged involvement in the recruitment and use of child soldiers in the conflict in the DRC conflicts. Asked about the sanctions, Gen Ngaruye said: “I don’t think it makes sense now since we have renounced the rebellion.” Fierce fighting between two rebel factions of M23 broke out in March with one group led by Gen. Sultani Makenga causing 1,500 people, including 682 rebel fighters, led by ex-political leader Runiga, to flee to Rwanda. A recent survey indicated that 99 per cent of all refugees in Rwanda are Congolese. Around 70,000 Congolese are being sheltered in Rwanda today.
