MONUSCO Repatriates Thirty-four Rwandans, Including Former FDLR Rebels
The operation was carried out under MONUSCO’s disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, and stabilization program, with the group including 19 family members of the former fighters, according to reports.
A Rwandan official confirmed that this latest repatriation raises the total number of returnees to 60, encompassing 33 ex-combatants. The individuals were transported across the Congo-Rwanda border connecting Goma in DR Congo to Rubavu in Rwanda, where they were received by Rwandan authorities.
MONUSCO noted that voluntary surrenders among Rwandan rebels in North Kivu’s outskirts near Goma have risen in recent months, partly influenced by the M23 rebels’ capture of the city last year. Nearly 300 people have returned under the disarmament and demobilization program since last year.
This repatriation effort aligns with a peace agreement signed by Congo and Rwanda in Washington last June, aimed at stabilizing eastern Congo through the neutralization of armed groups.
FDLR fighters have maintained a presence in eastern Congo for decades and are reportedly still active in areas such as Masisi, Rutshuru, and Walikale, according to reports. MONUSCO has emphasized increased efforts to encourage surrenders and voluntary repatriation.
Rwanda classifies the FDLR as a terrorist organization, citing the group’s involvement in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi population.
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