Rwanda has welcomed 34 Rwandans and their family members who were formerly associated with the FDLR, officials said on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
Gatabazi Jean Marie Vianney, a commissioner at the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), said the returnees were first received at the RDRC center and then transferred to Mutobo before being resettled in different parts of the country.
Among the returnees were individuals who had fought alongside the FARDC when they were captured in Uvira, Gatabazi added.
The move follows repeated calls by the RDRC for all Rwandans affiliated with the FDLR and its allied groups to lay down their arms and return home.
“We urge all Rwandans who have been part of the FDLR or its allied groups to surrender and come home. The RDRC is ready to welcome them, assist with their demobilization, and support their reintegration into civilian life,” Gatabazi said.
Government officials, including Nyirahabineza, emphasized that Rwanda is prepared to provide returning combatants with the same support offered to previous returnees, helping them rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society.
The return of these individuals follows the 2025 peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which calls for the disbandment of the FDLR.
Under the agreement, combatants who voluntarily return are reintegrated into civilian life, as has been the practice at the RDRC center in Mutobo, Musanze District.
In line with this agreement, on October 10, the DRC military called on FDLR fighters to surrender to either the DRC authorities or UN forces, warning that those who refused would face legal consequences.
The return of these 34 Rwandans marks a continued effort to promote peace, security, and reconciliation in the region while offering former combatants a pathway back to normal life.
