Rwanda Receives FDLR Defectors Returning From DRC
Rwanda has again welcomed a new group of its citizens who decided to leave armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On 25 November 2025, the country received 15 former FDLR fighters together with several civilians connected to seven different armed groups. Among them were five children, according to officials.
These people were handed over to Rwanda by the United Nations peacekeeping mission in DR Congo (MONUSCO), which continues to support peaceful demobilization efforts.
UN Peacekeeping —United National)
Who Returned and How They Arrived Home
The group arrived through an organized repatriation process.
According to Valerie Nyirahabineza, the President of Rwanda’s RDRC—the commission in charge of demobilizing and reintegrating ex-combatants—these returnees came voluntarily.
She confirmed that some were fighters, while others were family members who had been living with armed groups deep inside the forests of eastern Congo.
Nyirahabineza explained that returning home is only the first step:
“When they arrive, we take them to Mutobo Reintegration Centre. There they get trained for three or four months to prepare for normal life.”
Life at Mutobo: Training, Healing, and Guidance
At Mutobo, former combatants receive lessons meant to help them rebuild their lives. They learn:
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How to live peacefully in society
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The history of Rwanda
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Skills for small jobs or business
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How to reject the dangerous ideology they were taught in the forests
Many of them come back with trauma and health problems. The program therefore includes medical care, trauma counseling, food, clothes, and temporary housing. Women, children, elderly people, and those with disabilities receive extra support depending on their needs.
Nyirahabineza noted that after completing the training, each person undergoes a full assessment before being allowed to return to their community. This check helps confirm that the individual is ready to live peacefully at home.
Encouraging Others Still in the Forests
The RDRC calls on all Rwandans still hiding in armed groups in DR Congo to return home. The commission says Rwanda is ready to receive them safely and help them rebuild their future.
Nyirahabineza said the stories of those who have already returned should motivate others:
“We ask families and communities to encourage their relatives who are still in the forests to come back. The country is prepared to help them restart life.”
The Numbers Behind the Reintegration Work
From January to October 2025, MONUSCO helped repatriate 54 Rwandan ex-combatants, most of them from the FDLR. They also brought home 44 of their family members.
Since 2001, the RDRC reports that Rwanda has reintegrated 12,602 people who left armed groups. They passed through 75 reintegration cycles, showing how large and long-term this national effort has been.
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Why This Matters for Rwanda
These returns help reduce insecurity in the region and support Rwanda’s long-standing goal of ending the FDLR and other armed groups that have destabilized eastern Congo for decades. Every new group that returns is another step toward peace.
The reintegration program also gives former fighters a chance to restart life with dignity and reconnect with their families after many years away.
