Congo Rangers

Category: General, Rangers | Date: Nov 18 2006 | By: admin

Early in 2000, Kasereka was manning an ICCN checkpoint at Kalingera in Virunga’s southern sector. Two of his colleagues had just left the patrol post and had walked the 300 meters or so up to the main road where they were waiting for a lift to the park station. All of a sudden, Kasereka heard gun fire and the explosion of anti-tank mortars coming from the main road. He grabbed the two other rangers who were with him and ran up to the main road to help protect his colleagues.Arriving at the main road he immediately saw an inferno of twisted metal. It was all that was left of a Daihatsu pick-up truck. The driver was nowhere to be seen, but it was assumed that he, along with all those traveling on the back, were killed immediately in the explosion. The two rangers were nowhere to be seen. Had they already got a lift to the station? Were they on the Daihatsu pick-up when it was blown up?

Kasereka and his rangers suddenly came under heavy fire from 15 men wearing Military Police uniforms. The rangers returned fire as a measure of self preservation and managed to force the Military Police into a retreat. The rangers quickly searched the area and found their two colleagues. Budo Gonza and Mathiew Wathaut were lying dead on the grass verge. They picked up the bodies and carried them back to the patrol post from where they were collected and driven to the station for burial.

The following evening, around 1830, eight soldiers in camouflage uniforms approached the checkpoint from the direction of the park. Earlier that day, a large number of Rwandan military had left the park and the rangers were under the impression that these soldiers were part of the same unit. They told the rangers that they had just carried out an operation in the park and had a wounded soldier with them who needed immediate hospital treatment.

They then asked the rangers to bring him some water to drink. The rangers could not understand why the soldiers were reluctant to cross the barrier, but nevertheless the rangers obliged and went and found some water in a gerry can. Berret Rwakadigi and Clerent Sebihaza then took the gerry can across the barrier and into the park towards the soldiers.

The soldiers suddenly retreated into the bush, and as the rangers continued to approach, there were three shots fired. Both rangers went down, crying out in pain. Kasereka and his colleagues ran to the barrier shouting and screaming, and started shooting desperately into the bush, trying to force the soldiers into a retreat. But the soldiers had already gone. The rangers ran to help their two colleagues, but sadly it was too late.

Was this related to the attack carried out the previous day? Was it some kind of revenge attack? Or was this just a cruel and cold blooded assassination of two fine young rangers?

The Kalingera Patrol Post is located in one of the most hostile areas of the park, and it is testiment to Kasereka’s courage and determination, as well as good fortune, that he survived while many of his less fortunate collegaues sadly perished. Today Kasereka leads Section 3 (Troop 1) of the Advance Force, and is both a credit to himself and to the ICCN.

This is what Conrad had to say about Kasereka following the selection phase: “A class-act. Robust, vigorous and a possible instructor too. Perhaps a little vociferous but fiercely competitive. A future leader and one to groom. Second on the course in spite of a wisdom tooth problem, which skewed his results. Most definitely the most promising young leader of this course also scored well on votes. Recommended instructor’s course.”