MINEMBWE, Democratic Republic of Congo — Conflicting reports have emerged over the fate of Gen. Charles Sematama, commander of the MRDP-Twirwaneho armed group, following reports that a military aircraft was shot down near Minembwe in South Kivu province.
Unverified reports circulating on social media have claimed that Sematama was killed when the aircraft was brought down near Minembwe.
But Twirwaneho has rejected the reports.
In a post on X, Col. Rugabo Fidèle, the group’s spokesperson, said the aircraft had been carrying medical supplies to the Minembwe area and accused forces allied with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s army, FARDC, of shooting it down.
Rugabo condemned the incident and accused the coalition fighting alongside FARDC of provocation.
In an interview with Kivu Morning Post, Rugabo also said that Gen. Sematama was alive and in good health.
Wazalendo, an armed group fighting alongside FARDC in eastern DR Congo, gave a different account.
Col. Tungane, Wazalendo’s spokesperson in South Kivu, told a source working for Rwandatribune in Uvira that the aircraft had been struck by a missile while carrying Sematama and several colleagues.
According to Tungane, the group had been returning from a high-level military meeting involving senior commanders of the AFC/M23 coalition.
The conflicting accounts could not immediately be independently verified.
Rwandatribune also attempted to contact Dr. Oscar Balinda, deputy political spokesperson for AFC/M23, for comment on the reports concerning Sematama and the aircraft. He could not be reached by telephone before publication.
As of publication, there was no independent confirmation that Gen. Sematama had been killed, nor that he was aboard the aircraft that was reportedly shot down.
The fate of the Twirwaneho commander therefore remains unclear, with the two sides offering sharply different accounts of the incident.
Mwizerwa Ally
Rwandatribune.rw
