Rwanda has welcomed 14 nationals, including eight former combatants of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), as part of its ongoing demobilisation and reintegration programme.
The group was received at the Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre by the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (RDRC).
In a statement posted on X, RDRC Commissioner Gatabazi Jean Marie Vianney said the returnees included eight fighters formerly attached to CRAP, the FDLR’s special forces unit led by Lt Col Guillaume.
The group also comprised one former Nyatura fighter and six civilians, including pastors who had supported the FDLR through logistical assistance and propaganda activities.
Gatabazi added that the returnees joined others who had arrived a day earlier. He noted that on January 20, 2026, Rwanda had also received 19 returnees, including 13 former FDLR members and six family members.
According to RDRC, since 2001 Rwanda has demobilised and reintegrated 12,602 former members of armed groups operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in line with national efforts to promote security, reconciliation, and regional stability.
