The killing of M23 Major Anicet Musana on Sunday in Rutshuru sent shock waves through the region, coming on the same say as the signing of the Addis Ababa agreement. What exactly happened, however, is shrouded in mystery.
What do we know? Musana was drinking in a local bar in Rutshuru town when he became victim of a targeted attack--reports from the UN and M23 say that he was hit with an RPG, killing him instantly.
The blogosphere lit up immediately, with most Congolese papers as well as the UN radio reporting that the killing was an internal M23 clash, the result of long-standing tensions between Bosco and Makenga. The M23's official version was that this had been an FDLR attack, as the Rwandan rebels took advantage of the M23's internal squabbling to stage a daring raid.
However, it is increasingly likely that the assassination was carried out by Musana's M23 colleagues. First of all, it was an assassination--it doesn't appear that the FDLR pillaged or took anything of great importance, and in the past they have been more interested in sneaking through M23 lines into Rwanda than picking a fight. Testimonies by M23 soldiers, MONUSCO officials, and ex-CNDP officers in the Congolese army also bears this out.
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