Authorities have called on former FDLR members reintegrated into society to act as ambassadors, encouraging those still in armed groups to lay down their weapons and return to Rwanda.
The call was made by Northern Province Governor Maurice Mugabowagahunde during an official send-off ceremony held at the Mutobo Demobilization and Reintegration Centre in Musanze District.
The group, forming the 76th cohort, comprises more than 200 individuals, including 78 former FDLR combatants, 36 civilians, and 11 women. They had spent three months at the centre undergoing reintegration training before being returned to their communities.
Governor Mugabowagahunde commended them for choosing to abandon armed struggle and embrace a new path, urging them to become role models in their communities by promoting unity, avoiding divisionism, and steering clear of substance abuse.
He further encouraged them to use their experience to persuade former colleagues still in the forests of eastern DR Congo to surrender and return home, while also countering misinformation about Rwanda that may discourage others from defecting.
Local leaders also urged the returnees and their families to actively participate in community activities and government programmes, including citizen engagement forums, to support their full reintegration.
The group has been replaced by a new intake of more than 400 individuals, who will undergo a similar three-month reintegration programme at the Mutobo centre.
Since 2001, a total of 12,686 former combatants have been demobilized and reintegrated into communities across Rwanda, with the majority settled in the Western and Northern provinces.
