Former Congolese commander of Republican guard arrested by military intelligence

According to my military intelligence collections,OSINT and HUMINT sources,there is confirmation that the former commander of Republican guard(presidential guard unit) has beenn arrested.He was the commander of Kitona military base.Illunga Hughes Kampete was the commander of Republican guard during Joseph Kabila's time.

Illunga kampete has been sanctioned by the security council on several occasions.

Who is Illunga Kampete?

Gaston Hugues Ilunga Kampete, born in 1964, is a former FAZ of the DSP Armoured Battalion. At the fall of Mobutu in 1997, he held the rank of captain and assumed the function of commander of the armoured squadron of Chinese-made T-59 tanks. In 1998, he was the commander of the Armoured Regiment of the Land Force whose chief of staff was none other than Joseph Kabila.

He is also a former FAZ having evolved in the 313th Battalion of the 31st Para Brigade of the FAZ, which was first based in Kamina before being deployed to Bukavu in 1996. He entered as one of the youngest second lieutenants in his unit. The majority of his unit joined the AFDL in 1997.

Indeed, most of the senior officers and generals who made at the time of his appointment at the GR, were part of the 31st Para Brigade of the FAZ and the DSP. This is particularly the case of Colonel Monga, the T2 (intelligence) of the GR, another Mulubakat of Kabalo of the 311th battalion of the 31st Para Brigade of Kamina before also being redeployed to Bukavu in 1996. The majority of the soldiers of the 31st Para Brigade joined the AFDL, after being approached by the United States Embassy in Kinshasa. As a reminder, in March 1996, the Zairian Government sent to Masisi 800 soldiers of the Special Presidential Division (DSP), members of the Military Action and Intelligence Service (SARM) and Para-commando units of the 31st Para Brigade most of whom joined the AFDL. This is the case, for example, of the Kipushi counter-offensive in March 1997 when the DSP troops and the FAZ gendarmes were about to retake this town from the hands of the Rwandan-Ugandan AFDL troops. They were suddenly attacked from behind by their brothers in arms from the FAZ of the Kimbembe and Lido camps commanded by the late Colonel Nsau (or Nzau) and the victorious Colonel Mayala,who at  some time became a general and Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of operations and intelligence of the Land Force alongside General Banze. The same General Mayala, in collusion with General Amisi Tango Four, following the M23 offensive in Bunagana on 6 July 2012, fled with 600 FARDC soldiers to Kisoro in Uganda, mysteriously abandoned a huge stock of heavy weapons, ammunition and tanks  to the enemy.

General Gaston Hughes Ilunga Kampete is a Mulubakat from Kabalo in the Tanganyika district. He was and is  a trusted man of President Kabila when he assumed the interim at the head of the Republican Guard at the time of the appointment of General Dieudonné Banze Lubunj as head of the Land Force. Despite his undeniable military qualities, his appointment also followed the military ethno-regionalism instituted by Kabila in the FARDC.

 Kampete was referred to kabila regime  by Oscar Gen Olenga who was a sort of mentor for him. Kampete often accompanied Oscar in the purchases of armored equipment in the former Eastern Europe (Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Czech Republic). Oscar always told kabila that Ilunga Kampete was his friend.

...if you want more on Kampete,you can read our earlier posts ...

General pacifique Masunzu puts up a decision to totally close Goma-Rutshuru road

 

The Congolese army orders the total closure of the Goma-Rutshuru road.

No access is authorized, neither entry nor exit. According to military intelligence information,it was the Decision of General Pacifique Masunzu.Masunzu is a tactician who knows a lot about the wars of eastern DRC.

It is time, The great storm is coming,the third phase of this  war is ripe and coming 

8 provincial deputies meet a Ugandan military intelligence officer

Eight provincial deputies from North Kivu met with Major Andrew, a Ugandan military intelligence officer, on 22 December 2024 in Mwalika (Beni territory). The meeting aimed to assess the status of SHUJAA operations, jointly conducted by the FARDC and UPDF against the ADF/NALU rebels.

Key points discussed:

1. Status of SHUJAA operations

Major Andrew reported that the ADF/NALU is fragmented into small groups scattered in Beni, Irumu, Mambasa and Lubero. Although attacks persist, joint efforts by the FARDC and UPDF are strengthening to neutralize this threat.

2. Presence of the UPDF in Butembo

The presence of the Ugandan army in Butembo was justified by an agreement between Presidents Tshisekedi and Museveni, with the mission of combating the ADF/NALU and other threats, such as the M23. Major Andrew called for the collaboration of the population and the cessation of disinformation campaigns against the UPDF.

The provincial deputies expressed their gratitude to the Ugandan president, the UPDF, and Major Andrew for their commitment to the quest for peace and security in North Kivu.

UPDF and FARDC mistakenly shoots at each other

 One civilian was killed, four FARDC soldiers

and a Ugandan army soldier injured, during a clash that took place accidentally on Saturday, December 21 in the Irumu territory between a group of soldiers engaged in joint operations against the ADF rebels based in Idohu and other soldiers who were returning from a reconnaissance patrol in the forest. 

According to human rights activists, these patrollers were mistaken by their comrades-in-arms for enemies, which created total panic in this entity. 

 In Idohu-Centre on the Komanda-Luna axis in the Irumu territory, FARDC-UPDF soldiers, who were supervising civilians who were carrying out community sanitation work commonly called "Salongo", were surprised by a group of armed men coming from the forest. 

It was in fact a group of other FARDC-UPDF soldiers, who were returning from a routine patrol in the area. 

Mistaking them for ADF rebels, the soldiers in Idohu opened fire on their comrades in arms.

An exchange of fire ensued. 

Human rights activists in the region report that one civilian died after the clash, hit by a stray bullet.

Four FARDC soldiers and one element of the Ugandan army seriously injured. 

Christophe Munyaderu of the Convention for the Respect of Human Rights/Irumu indicates that the situation became calm again in the evening, after having sown panic among the population. 

Shujaa operations spokesman Colonel Mak Hazukay promised to comment on the incident at a later date. 

The Congolese and Ugandan armies have been carrying out joint operations against the ADF for several months in this region.

FARDC and Wazalendo claim that many M23 have been neutralized and several villages liberated .

This Saturday 21/12/24 the village of KANYAMBI, a major stronghold of the M23_RDF in the Lubero territory was retaken by the Congolese army supported by Wazalendo resistance fighters this Saturday, December 21 during new clashes. According to local sources, the rebels launched attacks on army positions from this village. "Under pressure, they did not have time to recover some of their military effects, even food was left on the fire. clashes began at 4:30 a.m. in the south of Lubero territory. Know that Wazalendo resistance fighters are facing M23_RDF rebels supported by Rwanda in the hills of Mambasa and Kanyatsi. The FARDC recaptured the town of Ndoluma this Saturday, December 21, 2024, located south of Lubero territory. During this operation, equipment belonging to the terrorists was seized. An RDF fighter, injured during the clashes, was captured and taken care of by the armed forces. The enemy is driven out of Ndoluma, and the FARDC continue to pursue them. Moise Nyarugabu, after failing with the rebellion in South Kivu, he became Evangilisye At least with the money from the offerings, he will find himself. No negotiation with M23. But this position must be maintained until the end.

Fighting has resumed in Lubero under the command of General Bruno Mandevu… More to come soon, a large part of Luofo is already still in the hands of the FARDC. Major General Bruno Mandevu officially took office as deputy chief of staff of the FARDC in charge of operations and commander of the Northern Front operations, Friday in Lubero in the province of North Kivu, during a ceremony with his predecessor, General Chico Tshitambwe. The information was confirmed in a press release published this Saturday by the spokesperson for the Northern Front operations, Lieutenant Reagan Mbuyi Kalonji. Prior to this appointment, Major General Bruno Mandevu had been in charge of the Sukola 1 operational sector for seven months, with headquarters based in Beni (North Kivu), where he oversaw military operations against armed groups in this part of the country, particularly the Ugandan rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who have been responsible for the massacres of thousands of civilians for over nine years. His area of intervention extended from Kanyabayonga, in Lubero territory, to Eringeti, in Beni territory. Before commanding the Sukola 1 operations, Bruno Mandevu held a strategic position in the 11th military region in charge of intelligence and operations in Kwamouth, in Mai-Ndombe province. Civil society welcomes the changes made by President Felix Tshisekedi in the chain of command of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC),expressed their satisfaction in a statement made on Friday, December 20 in Goma (North Kivu). In this document, the president of the urban coordination of civil society, Marrion Ngavho Kambale, asks the newly co-opted to work for the restoration of lasting peace in the province and the return of displaced persons to their entities. The latter recalls that the DRC is facing several enemy forces: the M23 rebels, the ADF and the Rwandan army. In addition to these replacements, Marrion Ngavho Kambale asks the Government to provide logistics as well as decent payment of soldiers and the management of their families, to raise the morale of the last fighter who is at the front.

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The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) also announced that they have blocked the advance of the M23/RDF rebels, particularly in Mambasa and around the Lubero territory (North Kivu). The news was reported to the press in the Beni region through an information note from the Front Nord operational sector, on the evening of Friday, December 20, 2024. The army reassures the population that the M23/RDF rebels will not cross Lubero-Centre and the city of Butembo, as some Internet users believe on social networks. "The FARDC have erected a strong barrier and are pushing the enemy back to Lubero. During the clashes that took place successively for 3 days, the FARDC elements blocked the advance of the M23/RDF terrorists in Mambasa and thwarted several attempts by the enemy to overrun Luofu, Kanyambi and Mighobwe," said Second Lieutenant Mbuyi Kalonji Reagan, spokesperson for North Front operations.

General Pacifique Masunzu loved by all Congolese because of his patriotism

 

Pacifique Masunzu, a Munyamulenge with a home in Kiziba of Minembwe, is a major military figure in the DRC whose history is marked by his resistance to Rwandan influence in South Kivu. Here is an overview of his career.

Pacifique Masunzu began his career in the Alliance of Democratic Forces for Liberation (AFDL) before joining the RCD after the 1998 war.

 In 2002, he clashed with the Paul Kagame regime, which ordered his arrest for treason after his opposition to the relocation of the Banyamulenge to refugee camps in Rwanda and certain behaviors.With the help of deserter Colonel Rukundo Makanika, Masunzu escaped his transfer to Rwanda and found refuge in Minembwe, in the Fizi territory.

In Minembwe, Masunzu founded the FRF and joined the Mai-Mai KAZIMIA axis led by General Madoa-Madoa to fight Rwanda and the RCD.Gen. Madoa is a former commander of the navyo f the FAC (Congolese Armed Forces).Within the Mai-Mai, Pacifique Masunzu will fight alongside General Antoine Padiri Bulendwa (Another enemy of Kagame), who currently holds the position of commander of the armed forces reserves and defense.

Paul Kagame, using the reason to neutralize the FDLR as usual, in August 2002, he sent commandos and helicopters to neutralize Masunzu, but Masunzu's forces with Gen. Padiri inflicted heavy losses on the Rwandan army.After suffering heavy losses, Kagame realized that he could not win this fight and finally decided to withdraw.This resistance made him a respected figure, especially in South Kivu.

In 2004, after making history with his struggle, Masunzu joined the military and obtained the rank of general in the FARDC.

When President Tshisekedi came to power, he appointed him as commander of the second defense zone, covering the Greater Katanga region.

His resistance to Rwandan forces and his commitment to the defense of the DRC made him an icon of patriotism, particularly in South Kivu.

 This journey, although complex, illustrates Masunzu's role in the fight for the sovereignty of the DRC.

Kagames appoints new sport minister as Vincent Karega struggles to get a proper ambassadorial posting

  Paul Kagames,President of the Republic of Rwanda has appointed new officials including Nelly Mukazayire who has been appointed Minister of Sports, and Rwego Ngarambe who has been appointed Secretary of State at MINISPORTS