Rubavu Leaders Urge Residents to Mobilize Men in DRC Forests to Return to Rwanda

Rubavu, Rwanda - Leaders from various sectors in Rubavu District have called on local residents to actively support efforts to bring back Rwandan men who remain in the forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The campaign, aimed at encouraging FDLR fighters to return home, has been ongoing since early 2025 with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

During a campaign event on November 18, 2025, Rubavu District Mayor Mulindwa Prosper highlighted that most of the individuals voluntarily returning from the DRC are women and children, while men, particularly the youth, remain hesitant.

“Among those who voluntarily returned from the DRC, the majority are women and children, which shows that men, especially the youth, are still reluctant to return and have no reason to stay in the DRC,” the Mayor said.

He emphasized that local leaders, businesspeople, religious leaders, security forces, former FDLR members, and the general population must work together to encourage reluctant men to come back. “We should find strategies together for them to return to their country because the longer they stay there, the worse it will be for them. Rwanda grants them all their rights and the necessary documents, and welcomes everyone who returns on the journey to rebuild the country,” Mulindwa added.

Gen Maj (Rtd) Jacques Nziza, Vice President of the National Commission for the Rehabilitation of Former Soldiers (RDRC), echoed the Mayor’s sentiments, stressing that youth in the DRC forests should not follow the elders of the FDLR who refuse to return.

“Rwandans have been exiled from their homeland by the evil campaign of the FDLR. There is nothing more important than calling on them to return home. Leaders, religious leaders, take the lead in bringing back our children… We want to work with you to bring back our men. Some are afraid to return home because of shame and the years they have spent there. We will bring them all back,” Nziza said.

The Rwanda-DRC peace agreement, signed on June 27, 2025, provides for the disarmament and repatriation of FDLR fighters, alongside efforts to return Rwandan and Congolese refugees. Despite a campaign launched by the DRC military on October 10, tangible results have been limited, with only 12 former combatants returning with UN peacekeeping assistance.

Some FDLR fighters surrendered following the takeover of Goma by the AFC/M23 coalition in late January. Those who returned were welcomed at the RDRC facility in Mutobo, Musanze District, where they received vocational training and civic education to facilitate reintegration into Rwandan society.

On October 30, 2025, the RDRC repatriated 143 Rwandans, including former armed group members and their families, after providing training programs and support services to help them rebuild their lives.