Jules Mutebutsi, also known as Jules Mutebusi and Jules Mutebuzi, (c. 1960 – 9 May 2014) was a Congolese military person and rebel leader of the

Rally for Congolese Democracy The Congolese Rally for Democracy (french: Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie; abbreviated RCD), also known as the Rally for Congolese Democracy, is a political party and a former rebel group that operated in the eastern region of the ...

. He has been often described as a Rwandan proxy. Mutebutsi was captured in 2004 and was put on trial for

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

. He was soon sentenced to

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

. He would remain in exile until his death in 2014.

Career

Mutebutsi was a Munyamulenge from

South Kivu Province South Kivu (''Jimbo la Kivu Kusini'' in Swahili), (french: Sud-Kivu) is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Bukavu. History South Kivu Province was created from Sud-Kivu District in 1989, when the exi ...

. On 26 May 2004 Mutebutsi together with

Laurent Nkunda Laurent Nkunda (or Laurent Nkundabatware Mihigo (birth name), or Laurent Nkunda Batware, or as he prefers to be called The Chairman; born February 2, 1967) is a former General in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is ...

captured the city of

Bukavu Bukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), lying at the extreme south-western edge of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the South Kivu pr ...

. Both were soldiers in the

military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: Forces armées de la république démocratique du Congo ARDC is the state organisation responsible for defending the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The FARDC was rebuilt pat ...

. They cited they wished to protect the Banyamulenge population in the DRC. During their occupation of the city

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...

called on the two to make their troops observe human rights after violations had occurred. On 9 June they withdrew after they were defeated by government troops, Mutebutsi fled to Rwanda, together with 300 troops. He held the rank of Colonel at the time of his escape to Rwanda. Mutebutsi said he fled towards Rwanda because Congolese and United Nations troops were trying to kill him. He remained in exile and under house arrest in Rwanda. Mutebutsi died in a

Kigali Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali has been Rwa ...

hospital from an illness, aged 54. Prior to his death Mutebutsi had voiced concern over his safety, as he had not supported the

March 23 Movement The March 23 Movement (french: Mouvement du 23 mars), often abbreviated as M23 and also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army (''Armée révolutionnaire du Congo''), is a rebel military group that is for the most part formed of ethnic Tutsi. ...

References

1960s births 2014 deaths People from South Kivu Democratic Republic of the Congo exiles Democratic Republic of the Congo politicians 21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo people {{DRCongo-bio-stub