UN Report Contradicts FDLR’s Peace Claims in Letter to United States

Kigali, July 3, 2026 - A letter sent by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) to the United States, presenting the armed group as a partner for peace in the Great Lakes region, has been contradicted by findings contained in a United Nations report on the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The letter, dated July 2, 2025 and signed by FDLR leader Victor Byiringiro, also known as Gaston Iyamuremye, was included in the report of the UN Group of Experts on the DRC. In the document, the FDLR expresses support for the Washington Peace Agreement signed by Rwanda and the DRC on June 27, 2025, and describes itself as a movement committed to restoring lasting peace and protecting Rwandan refugees living in eastern Congo. However, the UN report presents a different picture, describing the FDLR as a structured armed group that remains actively involved in the conflict in eastern DRC. According to the report, the organisation continues to operate through three main factions-FDLR-FOCA, FDLR-RUD and FDLR-FPP-and remains under international sanctions because of its military activities. The letter also claims that the FDLR is neither a terrorist nor a genocidal organisation and has never posed a threat to Rwanda. Those assertions contrast with the group's documented history, including attacks carried out in northwestern Rwanda and the involvement of its founders in the planning and execution of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The report states that FDLR fighters continue to operate in several territories of North Kivu, including Nyiragongo, Masisi, Rutshuru and Walikale. It also cites information indicating that the group's elite unit, known as CRAP, claims to have fighters positioned on the outskirts of Goma and others who have infiltrated the city. According to the UN findings, a secret meeting held on April 7, 2026 in Pinga, Walikale, brought together senior officers of the Congolese armed forces and FDLR leaders, where both sides reportedly agreed to maintain their cooperation despite the signing of the Washington peace agreement. The report estimates the FDLR's fighting force at around 3,500 members in 2025, while the group itself claims to command about 10,000 fighters and says its elite unit has more than 20,000 members. Rwandan authorities have consistently described the FDLR as one of the country's principal security threats, arguing that beyond its military capacity, the group's continued promotion of genocidal ideology remains a major concern. The dismantling of the FDLR has been a key provision of regional peace initiatives, including the Washington agreement, as well as several United Nations Security Council resolutions calling on the DRC to disarm the group and facilitate the voluntary return of its members. The contrast between the FDLR's message to the United States and the findings presented in the UN report has raised fresh questions over the group's portrayal of itself as a peace actor while remaining actively engaged in armed operations in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.