Twenty alleged Mayi-Mayi rebels handed over to Congolese authorities

According to reliable sources, nearly 20 rebels from Mai-Mai Yakutumba rebel group who were detained at the National intelligence Services were handed over to the authorities of the province of South Kivu this Thursday, February 8.

The Mulongwe border post where these alleged rebels were transported before being driven to Uvira

The operation took place in the afternoon at Gatumba border post on the Burundian side. It was around 4:30PM, four pickup trucks with tinted windows of the Burundian intelligence services (SNR) appeared in hurry, the front lights on. Heavily armed, finger on the trigger, the police sitting on the benches at the back of the pickup trucks jumped out of their vehicles before they stopped.

They quickly positioned themselves beside the offices of this border post, assuring the security of the pickup trucks. They were noticeably nervous. One of the agents of SNR came out of the vehicle, a smartphone stuck to the ear.

After ten minutes, these four vehicles went straight to the Mulongwe border post on the Congolese side, and returned after fifteen minutes.

The police agents guarding these SNR agents involved in this operation were visibly less nervous than before. They even talked to traders and travellers at the border before leaving.

Before the pickups arrived at the Gatumba border post, there was a shuttle Toyota Probox car at the border with a Congolese diplomatic license plate.

Some UNHCR and ONPRA (National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons) officers were all around. A UNHCR car had parked on the side of the road waiting for them. They left the place a few minutes after the departure of SNR vehicles.

These alleged fighters of the Mai-Mai Yakutumba group fled clashes with the Congolese army-FARDC in the territory of Fizi. They surrendered on Wednesday, January 31 and fled to Burundi via Rumonge small port.

Reliable sources say the vice representative of Mayi mayi Yakutumba rebel group, Ekanda also known as Draguila, was among these militiamen. They were more than twenty and four among them were wounded.