With starvation and thirst claiming the lives of his comrades one after another, Mbale Hafashimana Amos finally decided to abandon the Congolese bush for a country he had always been warned would kill him on sight.
Mbale, an ethnic Hutu, belonged to a militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo known as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The group was originally formed by those who crossed into Congo after the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
However, the FDLR has been driven to the edge of defeat this year as the M23, a Rwanda-backed armed movement, captured major parts of the region.
By April, “M23 pushed us into an area where there was nothing to eat,” said Mbale, 37.
“I watched more than 150 soldiers die from hunger and dehydration. It was terrifying. I will share this story with every person I meet for the rest of my life.”
Rwanda has repeatedly denied supporting M23, despite findings from several international bodies, especially since the group has been linked to crimes against humanity.
But Rwanda has received recognition for accepting and rehabilitating FDLR fighters who surrender. The group includes both recent recruits and those who were directly involved in the 1994 genocide, where about 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis, were killed.
When Mbale surrendered this year, he believed he would be executed. Instead, he ended up in a rehabilitation center in Rwanda.
