Jason Stearns

06/25/10

More details of the killing of Denis Ntare Semadwinga are coming to light, although much is still unclear. Apparently 8-10 people (some say in uniform, other say in civilian clothes) came to his house in Gisenyi at around 8-9pm on June 20th. They blocked off the area and stabbed him to death.

Semadwinga was linked to a dissident faction of the CNDP that had written a letter denouncing the party's leadership back in May. The signatory of that statement, Patrice Habarurema, was arrested by Rwandan police shortly afterwards. Several other CNDP officials have been arrested by Rwandan authorities over the past few months, including Sheikh Idi Abbas, accused of being linked the grenade attacks in Kigali.

Family members who have asked the authorities about these arrests have not received much of a response from the Rwandan government.

Other strange things are happening in the Congo. A manager of one of Nkunda's ranches in Kitchanga was reportedly killed recently.

According to these same sources within the CNDP, members of the Rwandan security services seem to be more and more worried that they could be a link between Nkunda's supporters and General Kayumba in South Africa.  

http://congosiasa.blogspot.com/2010/06/update-on-semadwingas-murder.html