Colonel Ruhinda’s Wife Denies Abduction Claims, Says She Found Peace in Rwanda

The wife of former FDLR commander Colonel Ruvugayimikore Protogene, widely known as Colonel Ruhinda Gaby, has dismissed allegations that she and her family were abducted by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).

Ruhinda, who once led the FDLR’s elite commando unit known as CRAP (Commando de Recherche et d’Action en Profondeur), was killed in December 2023 in Masisi Territory, North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). His death sparked internal controversy within the FDLR, with some of his former comrades alleging it resulted from an internal plot.

Born in 1970 in Karago Commune, in what is now Nyabihu District, Ruhinda abandoned veterinary studies in 1994 during the Genocide against the Tutsi to undergo military training. When the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) liberated Rwanda, he fled with other militias to eastern DRC, where he joined the ALiR, later renamed the FDLR. Rising through the ranks, he eventually commanded the group’s special forces.

In 2001, Ruhinda married Claudine Mukamana, a 19-year-old Rwandan woman. The couple settled in Masisi and later moved to Rutshuru and Goma. When the AFC/M23 rebel movement took control of Goma in January 2025, Mukamana chose to stay behind with her children while her husband continued to move between conflict zones.

Her decision not to flee sparked suspicion among some FDLR members, who accused her of being a Rwandan spy. Many of the wives of FDLR leaders reportedly severed contact with her. “They changed their phone numbers so I couldn’t reach them,” she told KT Press, adding that even her married daughter in Goma remains in hiding due to threats from FDLR operatives.

By March 2025, anti-Rwandan activists in Europe began circulating false claims that Mukamana, her seven children, and grandchild had been abducted in Goma by RDF and AFC/M23 forces. After months of rumors, Mukamana publicly refuted the allegations, confirming that she had voluntarily repatriated to Rwanda to rebuild her life in peace and security.

“I haven’t heard the sound of a gun for months - this is the first time in my life that I haven’t heard that sound,” Mukamana said. “There is peace here. My children are safe, they’ve gone back to school, and I no longer have a reason to hide.”

Her return is part of a larger wave of repatriations of Rwandans who had been living under FDLR influence in eastern Congo. Many have since returned home following the AFC/M23’s takeover of Goma, assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

These returnees are initially hosted in temporary reception centers such as Nkamira in Rubavu District and Nyarushishi in Rusizi District, before being reintegrated into normal community life.

Mukamana’s story highlights a growing shift among former refugees and families of ex-combatants seeking stability back home - a move that signals renewed confidence in Rwanda’s peace and security.