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According to whistleblowers in the Burundian military and intelligence
services, renegade Col. Jules Mutebusi is consolidating and expanding
a military build-up between Bwegera and Sange, in the Ruzizi Plain,
about a mere 60 km southwest of Bukavu, the provincial capital of
South Kivu Province.
The area abuts the Burundian province of Cibitoke.
But those sources couldn't provide me with evidence of actual
coordination between Mutebusi's militia and M23.
They insist however that Mutebusi has currently 400 men on the ground,
is briskly recruiting in Rwandophone-Congolese refugee camps in
Burundi while other recruits are coming from Rwanda via Burundian
territory.
They can't tell, however, whether the 400 men belong to Mutebusi's
core fighters who had retreated with him into Rwanda after being
pushed out of Bukavu--a city Mutebusi seized in June 2004--or if their
bulk is made up of new recruits.
They believe that Mutebusi is poised to ignite his insurgency in South
Kivu within two weeks' time.
They also firmly believe that Mutebusi is in cahoots with Burundian
President Pierre Nkurunziza.
They base this assessment on the fact that Mutebusi always talks as if
he wants to put as much distance as possible between him and
Nkurunziza.
Says one of the sources: ''Mutebusi always goes like, 'I don't trust
Nkurunziza. You talk to him and that very evening Kabila knows
everything!' In other words, he talks business with the man and knows
about his double-crosses!"
In any event, another one of those sources don't buy this negative
assessment of Nkurunziza as there's no way the latter could be unaware
of Mutebusi's activities in Bujumbura and in the refugee camps.
The whistleblowers believe that Mutebusi is a central piece in the
grand design of expansion into, and fracturing of, the Congo being
pursued by President Paul Kagame.
They fear that once Kagame would be done with the Congo, he'll turn
his attention towards Burundi.
And they are frustrated that Nkurunziza who has naively his sight on
the "crumbles from Kagame's Congo's spoils" doesn't see this looming
threat!
***
PHOTO CREDITS: Via: www.bbc.co.uk
