FARDC Launches Operations to Hunt Down FDLR Fighters
The Congolese army has announced it has launched operations to hunt down fighters of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) on the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to local media reports, the announcement was made Sunday evening by General Ychaligonza Jacques, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).
The development comes amid renewed diplomatic focus on the FDLR, with Rwanda placing the armed group at the centre of discussions on the conflict in eastern DR Congo at the United Nations Security Council.
Addressing the Council on March 26, Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Martin Ngoga, described the FDLR as “a genocidal force founded by remnants of those responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,” warning that its ideology remains a continuing threat to regional stability.
The FDLR, an armed group opposed to the government of Rwanda and active in eastern DR Congo, has long been accused of fuelling insecurity in the region. It is composed largely of elements linked to perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The group is also referenced in the Washington peace agreement signed in December last year between President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Félix Tshisekedi.
Earlier this month, the United States hosted delegations from Kigali and Kinshasa to discuss implementation of the agreement, which remains pending.
Under the understandings reached, Rwanda committed to a timeline for ceasing military operations and withdrawing defensive measures from designated areas in eastern Congo, while the DRC agreed to carry out strengthened, time-bound operations to dismantle the FDLR and ensure the protection of civilians.
General Ychaligonza was quoted by Congolese media as saying the ongoing operation is intended to compel FDLR fighters to surrender.
“For better or by force, they must lay down their arms. We do not want bloodshed… they must surrender so they can be repatriated to their country, Rwanda,” he said.
Reports indicate that at least three FARDC battalions have been prepared to carry out the operations, which he said are being closely monitored, including by the international community.
At the UN, Ngoga argued that failure to confront the FDLR and its ideology has distorted international understanding of the conflict and undermined prospects for lasting peace.
“The conflict in eastern DRC is not of Rwanda’s making,” he said, adding that Rwanda’s primary concern remains the presence of the FDLR and what he described as the spread of its genocidal ideology.
An Indian peacekeeper serving under the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) during operations in eastern DRC.
Rwanda has criticised the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, questioning its effectiveness and the balance of its reporting, saying it often downplays the role of certain armed groups and actors.
Despite being one of the UN’s largest and longest-running missions, MONUSCO has faced persistent challenges in fulfilling its mandate, including the neutralisation of armed groups such as the FDLR.
The United Nations, Rwanda, and some Western countries have previously accused the Congolese army of collaborating with the FDLR. Meanwhile, the UN, Western countries, and the DRC have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group operating in eastern Congo.
It remains to be seen whether the Congolese army—previously accused of collaborating with the FDLR—will effectively move to neutralise the group.
