Mpakaniye, also known as Che Guevara Jacob, was born in the Rwankuba sector of Karongi District. He fled Rwanda in 1994, following the Genocide against the Tutsi, when he was 20 years old and still in secondary school at EAVFO Kibisabo in Nyabihu.
In an interview with IGIHE, he discussed how he ended up in the FDLR and what he did until 2019 when he was brought back to Rwanda.
"I left Rwanda in 1994 after the country was taken over. In our region in the West, the army had been defeated, and many leaders fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC]. My three elders, my mother, and neighbors decided to escape, but my father stayed behind as he was imprisoned," he said.
They went as refugees to the camps in Kamanyola, DRC, but by 1998, the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) launched attacks aiming to overthrow Mobutu Sese Seko's regime, which led to the destruction of the camps, and he and others had to flee into the forests, some of whom perished.
In 1998, when FDLR was retreating from Rwanda, they returned to Congo and were instructed that every man and young man among the refugees had to join the military.
He continued, "We joined FDLR not out of choice, but due to the harsh conditions, as Rwandan refugees were being targeted by Mai Mai and AFDL, and it was dangerous to return to Rwanda. At times, if you attempted to return, you risked being killed."
He further mentioned that they joined with the promise that if they succeeded in the war and removed Rwanda's government, they would have a better life. Their campaign began in Masisi, and in 2002, he was assigned to a unit that protected the FDLR leaders. Later, they moved to South Kivu with Maj Gen Paul Rwarakabije.
"In 2004, Gen Rwarakabije returned home, and we stayed behind, working with Gen Sylvestre Mudacumura, and I was assigned to protect him specifically. I stayed with this group until 2014 when I suffered from heart disease and was moved to Rutshuru, then later to Goma for treatment."
Lt Col Mpakaniye emphasized that the living conditions of FDLR fighters led to the recruitment of children under the age of 18.
He explained, "Because fighters in FDLR often stayed away from their families, their children, some as young as 16 or 17, grew accustomed to fighting. These children grew up surrounded by weapons and got used to them from a young age. Their lives became about fighting because they were born into it."
He added that these children often don't attend school and by the time they turn 18, they know nothing other than warfare.
Warfare mixed with preaching
Mpakaniye also shared that in 1992, while still a student, he was already a preacher. When he arrived in DRC, he joined the ADEPR Church in Exile, where he started preaching alongside his military duties in FDLR.
"I began volunteering in preaching in 2003, and had been given full responsibility as a preacher by 2019. The FDLR military unit we were in also had an ADEPR Church. We taught the Word of God, but the FDLR had other groups that promoted messages aligning with its agenda," he said.
Mpakaniye clarified that his preaching focused on genuine Christian teachings, even though other preachers under FDLR were used to bolster the militia's morale by falsely claiming that God was supporting them.
He also mentioned some significant battles the FDLR suffered, including the attack that killed Gen Leodomir Mugaragu, one of its top leaders, and operations like "Umoja Wetu" and others from DRC to fight armed groups.
In 2019, while in Goma receiving treatment for his heart condition, he was captured by the DRC military and handed over to Rwanda, where he found himself back in the country.
Mpakaniye concluded by stating that his wife and six children still live in Goma, and he hopes to bring them back to Rwanda once he has fully recovered and reintegrated into civilian life.
IGIHE
