Congo Orders FDLR Rebels to Surrender
The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) have called on fighters of the FDLR rebel group to lay down their weapons and surrender to Congolese government authorities or MONUSCO (the UN Mission in the DRC) so that they can be repatriated to Rwanda.
This directive is part of the agreement signed in June 2025 between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which commits both countries to completely dismantle the FDLR, a group considered a threat to Rwanda’s security.
The FDLR is largely composed of individuals who participated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and it has been listed internationally as a terrorist organization.
Under the same agreement, Rwanda also pledged to lift certain defensive measures that had been put in place to ensure security in eastern Congo and to help end a conflict that has devastated the lives of Congolese civilians for over 30 years.
Delegations from both countries met in Washington, D.C. last month, where they agreed that operations to dismantle the FDLR would officially begin in October 2025.
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In a statement issued on Friday, October 10, the spokesperson for the Congolese army, Major General Sylvain Ekenge Bomusa, urged all FDLR combatants to surrender peacefully to government forces or MONUSCO.
He stated: “In line with the military action plan adopted on October 1, 2025, by the Monitoring Committee of the Washington Agreement signed between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Rwanda with the support of the United States the Congolese Armed Forces call on all FDLR fighters to lay down their arms and surrender to Congolese authorities or MONUSCO to facilitate their repatriation to their home country, Rwanda.”
General Ekenge also urged Congolese civilians who have ties or communication with the FDLR to cut off contact and encourage rebel fighters to surrender without resistance.
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He warned: “If any fighters refuse or resist this call, the FARDC will forcibly disarm them as stipulated in the Washington Agreement.”
FARDC further reminded all its soldiers that any form of collaboration or support for the FDLR is strictly prohibited. General Ekenge warned that any soldier found in violation will face severe punishment.
He concluded by appealing to FDLR fighters to contribute to the ongoing peace process by surrendering without fighting or bloodshed.
The Congolese government had previously collaborated with the FDLR during M23’s military offensives aimed at capturing the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu in North and South Kivu cooperation that was seen as an attempt to bolster the Congolese army’s strength.
