How and Why Gen. Byamungu and Lt. Col Willy Ngoma, M23 Officers, Were Once Detained by Gen Makenga

The Commander-in-Chief of the AFC/M23 Army, Major General Sultani Makenga, has recently detained some of his senior officers for various crimes they committed in areas under his control.

These crimes include looting and illegal trade, mainly in precious minerals.

Those sentenced to short prison terms include well-known M23 soldiers, as well as Makenga's brother.

Among those sentenced by Gen. Sultani Makenga is the former M23 Army commander in Goma, Col. Jimmy Nzamuye, who has recently been released. Before his arrest and detention in Tchanzu, he was suspected of using his position to amass wealth.

After his release, Gen. Makenga immediately removed him from command of the army in Goma and made him responsible for planning operations in the second military region operating in Masisi.

My intelligence Sources also say that last September, Brigadier General Bernard Maheshe Byamungu, who is currently the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the M23 Army in charge of operations and intelligence, also spent a week in detention. The decision to detain him was reportedly taken by the M23 Disciplinary Commission.

Byamungu was allegedly being investigated for the seizure and sale of seven villas that once belonged to the DRC government.

Sources deep inside the M23 core military administration  also say that Gen. Makenga continues to closely monitor the land disputes Byamungu is implicated in, while also closely following the case of Basile Bashigwa, the head of intelligence in the city of Goma, who is said to lead a gang of thieves who steal cars in the cities of Goma and Bukavu and allegedly sell them in Uganda.

Another of those who have been in prison for some time, is Ibrahim Makenga, who is also the brother of Gen. Sultani Emmanuel Makenga.This man, who is currently the Deputy Director of the Directorate of Security and Intelligence (DSR) in South Kivu province, was reportedly imprisoned for crimes including corruption and embezzlement.

After his release, he reportedly returned to his duties, unlike Manzi Musonerwa, who was his boss who was arrested and imprisoned on charges of dealing in stolen cars.Manzi, who is the brother-in-law of the North Kivu provincial government, Bahati Musanga Erasto, was immediately sent to command Masisi after his release.

Those involved in the gold trade were also imprisoned

Among the AFC M23 senior soldiers who were imprisoned were those who were allegedly involved in the trade of precious stones, shortly after M23 had taken over the city of Bukavu.

Many of these stones are said to have been looted in the first major city in South Kivu province.

These include the AFC/M23 military spokesman, Lt. Col Willy Ngoma, who was detained for three weeks at the end of July this year on the orders of Gen. Makenga. He was allegedly involved in the illegal trade of gold that was allegedly looted in Bukavu.

Colonel Julien Mahano Barutuje, who is currently the deputy director of M23 intelligence, is said to have been investigated for corruption and dealing in gold with Chinese investors. Although he was able to remain in his position, he was eventually transferred and sent to work in Masisi.

Meanwhile, an officer named François Kazarama is said to be still in prison in Tchanzu for killing a person who lived in his house in the city of Bukavu.

Gen. Makenga continues to be a source of frustration for his aides, while he is often heard criticizing the corruption, theft and embezzlement of funds carried out by the DRC government; some of the reasons he cites as making him choose to take up arms and fight it..