Colonel Innocent Kaina, founder of the Coalition Nationale Pour la Libération du Congo (CNLC) and Commander-in-Chief of its armed wing, the Forces Nationale pour la Libération du Congo (FNLC), has denied reports that he had been detained in Uganda after reportedly going missing.
It had been claimed that before being detained, he had been summoned by Uganda’s army chief and son of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
His alleged arrest was also linked to General Muhoozi’s recent visit to Kinshasa last month, during which he met the Chief of Staff of the Congolese Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Jules Banza, and President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi.
The same visit concluded with a bilateral cooperation agreement signed between Kinshasa and Kampala.
In an exclusive interview with BWIZA, Colonel Kaina confirmed he was never arrested, stating that he had simply gone on a work mission.
He said: “I went on a mission, and I think that created some confusion. Sometimes people travel without informing anyone, even when it’s not necessary. That may be where the rumors came from. But I assure you, I’ve had no problems. I was just on duty, and my phone was off.”
Colonel Kaina emphasized that he and the troops he leads are still pursuing their mission to liberate the Congolese people, especially in the Ituri region, accusing the Kinshasa government of continuing its harmful policies against them.
He founded the CNLC in late March this year with the aim of putting an end to what he describes as “the behavior of the Kinshasa regime, which is characterized by a lack of concern for the suffering of Congolese citizens due to poor and unethical governance.”
Among the accusations he levels against President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi’s administration are:
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Corruption
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Nepotism
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Co-opting individuals for loyalty
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Arbitrary arrests of dissenters
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Embezzlement of public funds
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Hate speech targeting Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese citizens
