MONUSCO repatriates former FDLR fighters from DR Congo

The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo says it has repatriated dozens of Rwandans, including former rebels, as part of ongoing disarmament efforts in the country’s volatile east.

MONUSCO announced on Tuesday that 34 Rwandans were returned home, including 15 ex-combatants from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and 19 family members. The group crossed back into Rwanda via the Goma–Rubavu border, where Rwandan authorities received them.

This latest operation brings the total number of individuals repatriated under the UN-backed disarmament and demobilization program to 60 in recent weeks, including 33 former fighters. Nearly 300 people have been repatriated since last year.

MONUSCO says that voluntary surrenders by Rwandan rebels around Goma have increased in recent months, particularly after the city was captured by M23 rebels last year.

The repatriations are part of a broader peace agreement signed by DR Congo and Rwanda in Washington in June, aimed at neutralizing armed groups in eastern Congo.

FDLR fighters have operated in the region for decades and are still believed to be active in parts of North Kivu. Rwanda considers the group a terrorist organization linked to the 1994 genocide, and has repeatedly said their demobilization and repatriation are essential to its national security.