‘Wanted’ rebel chief campaigns for election
By Our Online Team
28th Nov 2011: In an unprecedented show of political audacity, a man charged with organising the mass rape of 387 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] last week staged a campaign rally in the eastern town of Walikale to look for votes that he hopes will see him elected to the country’s national assembly.
Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka, who leads a faction of the Mai Mai armed group operating in the surrounding rainforest and has an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity hanging over his head, is running for one of the two seats in the Walikale district of North Kivu Province. According to the Al Jazeera, Sheka’s rally on Thursday last week took place in full view of Congolese police, army, and within three kilometres of a UN peacekeeping base.
Dressed in blue military-style fatigues, aviator sunglasses and a green straw hat, Sheka told his audience that he would solve their problems. “…You have to forgive us. We are coming from the jungle and don’t have the loudspeakers to address you. I am the president of the political wing of a militia group … and we will solve your problems,” he said to wide applause.
He also told Al Jazeera that he was not a military commander but a politician trying to protect the interests of his people. “…If I am guilty of all of these [rape] crimes, why then are all these people here to support me?” he asked while standing between his bodyguards. When he was probed about the probability of arrest, Sheka said the people would come to his rescue. “…Just you try it [arrest me] and these crowds will beat you,” he said.
Sheka was named in a UN report released in July 2011 that documented the rape of at least 387 civilians in a devastating rampage of violence between July 30th and August 2nd 2010. The UN alleges that Sheka’s Mai Mai faction were one of three armed groups directly involved and Sheka was one of the leaders with command responsibility.
Sheka is however just one of 19,000 candidates vying for 500 legislative seats the DRC’s violent general election that has already claimed the life of at least one parliamentary candidate. END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
