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The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC) has repatriated 39 Congolese nationals to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after determining they had falsely identified themselves as former fighters of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
In a statement issued on Wednesday from Musanze, the commission said the repatriation followed an extensive verification process that found the individuals did not qualify for Rwanda’s demobilisation and reintegration programme.
“The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC) today officially repatriated to DRC thirty-nine (39) Congolese nationals who had falsely identified themselves as former FDLR combatants,” the statement said.
According to the commission, the handover was conducted in the presence of officials from the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, and members of the media.
The RDRC said it would continue to apply strict screening procedures to ensure only eligible former combatants are admitted into its reintegration programme.
“The RDRC remains committed to a rigorous verification process in line with established procedures, regional frameworks, as well as collaboration with regional and international partners to promote accountability, regional cooperation, and lasting peace.”
The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission is responsible for receiving, screening, demobilising and helping reintegrate former combatants who voluntarily lay down their arms and return to civilian life.
The programme includes former members of armed groups operating in the Great Lakes region, including the FDLR.
The FDLR is a predominantly Rwandan armed group formed in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Some of its founders and members were linked to perpetrators of the genocide and later fled into what is now the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The group has remained active in parts of North and South Kivu for decades and is regarded by Rwanda as a major security threat.
The presence of the FDLR in eastern DRC has long been a source of tension between Kigali and Kinshasa.
Rwanda has repeatedly accused the Congolese government of failing to neutralise the group, while the DRC has accused Rwanda of supporting the rebel group M23, an allegation Kigali denies.
The repatriation comes against the backdrop of renewed regional peace efforts led by the African Union, the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community to end years of conflict in eastern DRC.
MONUSCO, which observed the repatriation, has worked with regional governments for years to facilitate the voluntary disarmament, demobilisation and repatriation of former combatants as part of broader efforts to stabilise the conflict-affected eastern DRC.
