A Congolese citizen named Manzi Patrick has written an open letter to President Paul Kagame, pleading for the release of General Laurent Nkunda, who has been held in Rwanda since 2009.
Now 58, Gen. Nkunda was once a senior commander in the AFDL and RCD, and later led the CNDP, which eventually gave rise to the M23 rebel group—currently engaged in conflict with the DRC government for over three years.
“Since 2009, Gen. Nkunda has stayed in Rwanda. Throughout this time, he has shown patience, restraint, and respect for your leadership, entrusting his future to your wisdom.”
— Manzi Patrick
Gen. Nkunda was arrested in January 2009 while attempting to flee through Rwanda’s Rubavu district. Manzi notes that his silence should not be seen as submission, but as discipline and principle.
Manzi argues that Tutsi, Banyamulenge, and Hema communities in the DRC now need Gen. Nkunda more than ever, to defend them from continuing violence and state repression:
“He has a unique ability to mobilize, unify, and serve as a role model—not to create division, but to promote dignity, unity, and justice.”
Manzi expressed gratitude to Rwanda for hosting Congolese refugees over the past 30 years:
“Without your decision to shelter thousands of Congolese exiles, many of us would have no life, future, or story to tell.”
He praised Kagame’s role in stopping the Genocide against the Tutsi, saying his legacy now extends beyond Rwanda. However, he laments that Congolese of Rwandan descent still face killings, looting, and persecution in the DRC.
In closing, Manzi urges Kagame to help bring Nkunda home with dignity and peace:
“His contribution should not remain in isolation. His voice still matters. His life still holds meaning. His message is not over.”
