Sylvestre Mudacumura
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sylvestre Mudacumura is the overall commander of the military wing of the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
(FDLR), known as the Forces Combattants Abacunguzi (FOCA). He was the deputy commander of the Presidential Guard of the Rwandan Armed Forces during the 1994 genocide
. Described as being age 55 in 2009, prior to the genocide he attended "the leadership academy of the armed forces in Hamburg
" on a two year scholarship. (This institution appears almost certainly to have been the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr
.) Following the genocide, it is believed Mudacumura's wife and children were moved to Germany
with the help of FDLR political leader Ignace Murwanashyaka
.
Mudacumura is an FDLR 'westerner', belonging to the group of rebels who were previously based in Kamina
and fought alongside the Forces Armées Congolaise, as opposed to the group that stayed in the Kivus. Since 2003, there has been tension within the FDLR as Mudacumura has replaced 'easterners' with 'westerners' in the command structure. He is implicated in the December 2006 death of the former FOCA second in command, Colonel Jean Baptist Kanyandekwe, who died of poisoning at a party thrown by the FOCA head. Kanyandekwe is said to have led a faction advocating for the end of hostilities and the return of the rebels to Rwanda.
Human Rights Watch
said in December 2009,
It is unclear if Mudacumura or Murwanashyaka has more power in the organization, with at least one FOCA colonel reporting that Murwanashyaka reported to Mudacumura during a visit. Mudacumura's younger brother, known as "Big Patrick", has a relationship with the Indian Battalion of MONUC. Big Patrick was also rumored to have used his contacts with MONUC to provide expatriate medical care to Mudacumura in November 2009. Mudacumura's brother-in-law, Lt. Col. Edmond Ngarambe, was the FOCA spokesperson prior to being captured in Operation Umoja Wetu.
He has been sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control
under Executive Order 13413 and the United Nations Security Council
's Consolidated Travel Ban and Assets Freeze List.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sylvestre Mudacumura is the overall commander of the military wing of the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is the primary remnant Rwandan Hutu Power rebel group in the east of the of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is often referred to as simply the FDLR after its original French name: the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda...
(FDLR), known as the Forces Combattants Abacunguzi (FOCA). He was the deputy commander of the Presidential Guard of the Rwandan Armed Forces during the 1994 genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
. Described as being age 55 in 2009, prior to the genocide he attended "the leadership academy of the armed forces in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
" on a two year scholarship. (This institution appears almost certainly to have been the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr
Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr
The Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr is the highest military academy of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr. Established in 1957, and since 1958 located in Hamburg, it is the successor of the Prussian Military Academy that was established in 1810...
.) Following the genocide, it is believed Mudacumura's wife and children were moved to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with the help of FDLR political leader Ignace Murwanashyaka
Ignace Murwanashyaka
Dr. Ignace Murwanashyaka is the current leader of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, a Rwandan Hutu rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
.
Mudacumura is an FDLR 'westerner', belonging to the group of rebels who were previously based in Kamina
Kamina
Kamina is a city in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located at around . It is the provincial capital.- Transport :...
and fought alongside the Forces Armées Congolaise, as opposed to the group that stayed in the Kivus. Since 2003, there has been tension within the FDLR as Mudacumura has replaced 'easterners' with 'westerners' in the command structure. He is implicated in the December 2006 death of the former FOCA second in command, Colonel Jean Baptist Kanyandekwe, who died of poisoning at a party thrown by the FOCA head. Kanyandekwe is said to have led a faction advocating for the end of hostilities and the return of the rebels to Rwanda.
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
said in December 2009,
According to former FDLR combatants interviewed by Human Rights Watch and others, General Mudacumura has clear and immediate command responsibility over FDLR forces. "It is Mudacumura who gives all the overall instructions and commands, and others follow his orders... No operation could ever be done without his consent," one former FDLR combatant told Human Rights Watch. In another case, a senior FDLR deserter from the Reserve Brigade told UN officials that Lt. Col. Félicien Nzabanita, commander of the Reserve Brigade, which conducted several of the larger attacks on civilians during Umoja Wetu2009 Eastern Congo offensiveThe 2009 Eastern Congo offensive was a joint Congo-Rwanda military offensive against the Hutu FDLR rebel group descended from those groups that carried out the 1994 Rwanda genocide...
and Kimia II, "never made any decisions unless they were coming from Mudacumura."
It is unclear if Mudacumura or Murwanashyaka has more power in the organization, with at least one FOCA colonel reporting that Murwanashyaka reported to Mudacumura during a visit. Mudacumura's younger brother, known as "Big Patrick", has a relationship with the Indian Battalion of MONUC. Big Patrick was also rumored to have used his contacts with MONUC to provide expatriate medical care to Mudacumura in November 2009. Mudacumura's brother-in-law, Lt. Col. Edmond Ngarambe, was the FOCA spokesperson prior to being captured in Operation Umoja Wetu.
He has been sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control
Office of Foreign Assets Control
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is an agency of the United States Department of the Treasury under the auspices of the Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. OFAC administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S...
under Executive Order 13413 and the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
's Consolidated Travel Ban and Assets Freeze List.