As they grew older, the two took different paths, Col Makanika pursued a military career, while Dr. Mugabe focused on academics. Both made significant strides in their respective fields.

When Dr. Mugabe learned of Col Makanika’s death recently, he was deeply saddened, as he had remained a close friend despite their differing career choices.

In an interview with IGIHE, Dr. Mugabe reflected on Col Makanika’s death and discussed in detail the ongoing violence and persecution of the Tutsi people in eastern DRC.

He also questioned why the international community has failed to learn from Rwanda’s history and warned of the consequences should the M23 rebel group withdraw.

Dr. Mugabe described Col Makanika as a man of determination and integrity. They had known each other since childhood, growing up as neighbors in the Fizi Territory after Makanika’s family moved there from Uvira.

Their friendship spanned from the age of 12 until their mid-20s. In 1995, Makanika joined the military while Mugabe pursued higher education, but they remained in touch over the years. According to Dr. Mugabe, Col Makanika was a fearless leader who stood against injustice.

Despite holding a prominent position in the Congolese military, he chose to leave and join his people in their fight for survival. He was targeted and eventually killed in his home after being pursued by government forces for some time.

Dr. Mugabe described Col Makanika as a man of determination and integrity.

Regarding the Twirwaneho movement, Dr. Mugabe emphasized that it had been active for many years, contrary to claims that it only emerged in 2017. It originated as a grassroots self-defense initiative when the Banyamulenge faced massacres in the Mulenge and Minembwe hills.

Over time, as the attacks intensified, Twirwaneho evolved into a structured armed group. Col Makanika joined in 2020 and significantly strengthened the movement by attracting disillusioned soldiers from the Congolese army who could no longer tolerate the government’s persecution of their families.

Dr. Mugabe strongly believes that fears of an impending genocide against the Tutsi in DRC are well-founded. He pointed out that mass killings are already occurring, with victims targeted solely based on their ethnicity.

He likened the situation to the early stages of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, citing systematic displacement, land seizures, and government complicity in the violence. He also noted the presence of hate speech, including inflammatory rhetoric from high-ranking officials, which fuels ethnic division and dehumanization.

The spread of genocide ideology has also reached Burundi, where Tutsi and those perceived as Tutsi have been detained solely due to their ethnic identity. Dr. Mugabe warned that such ideologies are not constrained with national borders, making it easy for them to spread from one country to another.

The international community, he argued, has failed to take meaningful action because it has not learned from history. Despite the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi occurring 30 years ago, major global powers and organizations have turned a blind eye to the warning signs in DRC. Instead of addressing the root causes of the conflict, Dr. Mugabe said, they issue vague statements and avoid taking concrete steps to dismantle genocidal ideologies.

If the M23 rebels were to withdraw, Dr. Mugabe warned, it would put Tutsi communities at even greater risk. He noted that M23 has been framed as an extension of a broader Tutsi agenda to dominate the region, a narrative widely propagated by political leaders and the media. In reality, he argued, if M23 steps back, Tutsi civilians would become easy targets, and ethnic massacres would escalate to catastrophic levels.

Makanika led the Twirwaneho armed group advocating for the rights of the Banyamulenge community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo prior to his demise.

Dr. Mugabe criticized the international community’s reluctance to pressure the DRC government into peace negotiations. He attributed this to the vested interests of powerful nations that prioritize their economic and political ties with Congo over the lives of innocent civilians.

He also pointed to President Félix Tshisekedi’s strategic efforts to misrepresent the conflict to the international community, shaping perceptions that align with his government’s agenda.

He questioned why the Congolese government refuses to engage in peace talks. "If someone rejects dialogue, it clearly shows a lack of willingness to resolve the conflict peacefully. Why would anyone fear peace negotiations?" he wondered.

Dr. Mugabe concluded by stressing that unless the root causes of the violence are addressed, the crisis will persist.

He urged global leaders to take proactive measures to foster peaceful coexistence rather than allowing conflicts to continue, leading to generational hatred and suffering. If the world does not act, he warned, history will repeat itself, with devastating consequences for the entire region.

Dr. Mugabe strongly believes that fears of an impending genocide against the Tutsi in DRC are well-founded.