Rwandan Woman Testifies to Being Raped by FARDC Soldiers in DRC

RUBAVU, February 12, 2026 - Nyiramana, 36, is one of 161 Rwandans recently repatriated from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who has spoken out about being raped twice by FARDC soldiers because she is Rwandan. Nyiramana returned on February 10 from the Masisi area, describing years of persecution since her parents fled in 1994 from the former Rutongo commune. She recounted her first assault in 2020: “My parents separated me, we became Gatoyi, later I married Kamuronzi. Life was not good because when they found out that you are a refugee, they treat you like someone who came to rob them… I went to collect firewood in the forest and met men dressed badly like shepherds but wearing FARDC military uniforms. They raped me and I kept quiet to protect my home.” Nyiramana explained that the soldiers targeted her for being Rwandan and even tried to coerce her into marriage: “I saw that they could even kill me, so I decided to agree by force. I kept quiet because I had a husband and did not want the family to fall apart. Now I can speak because he has returned.” Her second assault occurred in 2024 after leaving the market: “I came back late and found them waiting near my house, not in military uniforms. They said we asked you many times and you refused, so we decided to rape you. It was dark, and I decided to accept. I kept quiet to avoid being hurt, but now I am happy to have returned to Rwanda.” Nyiramana returned to Rwanda with her seven children, the survivors of her late husband, and expressed her readiness to work and rebuild her life. She also encouraged others still in the Congolese jungle to return, highlighting the opportunities and development available in Rwanda. The repatriation was based on resolutions adopted at a meeting between Rwanda, the DRC, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Addis Ababa on July 24, 2025. Mulindwa Prosper, Mayor of Rubavu District, addressed the returning Rwandans, saying: “There is no reason for any Rwandan to still be called a refugee. You were misled in the forest. You are now witnessing the truth… You are in the hands of a country that loves you, and you must call those left behind to return home.”

Faits rapportés

RUBAVU, February 12, 2026 - Nyiramana, 36, is one of 161 Rwandans recently repatriated from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who has spoken out about being raped twice by FARDC soldiers because she is Rwandan. Nyiramana returned on February 10 from the Masisi area, describing years of persecution since her parents fled in 1994 from the former Rutongo commune. She recounted her first assault in 2020: “My parents separated me, we became Gatoyi, later I married Kamuronzi. Life was not good because when they found out that you are a refugee, they treat you like someone who came to rob them… I went to collect firewood in the forest and met men dressed badly like shepherds but wearing FARDC military uniforms. They raped me and I kept quiet to protect my home.” Nyiramana explained that the soldiers targeted her for being Rwandan and even tried to coerce her into marriage: “I saw that they could even kill me, so I decided to agree by force. I kept quiet because I had a husband and did not want the family to fall apart. Now I can speak because he has returned.” Her second assault occurred in 2024 after leaving the market: “I came back late and found them waiting near my house, not in military uniforms. They said we asked you many times and you refused, so we decided to rape you. It was dark, and I decided to accept. I kept quiet to avoid being hurt, but now I am happy to have returned to Rwanda.” Nyiramana returned to Rwanda with her seven children, the survivors of her late husband, and expressed her readiness to work and rebuild her life. She also encouraged others still in the Congolese jungle to return, highlighting the opportunities and development available in Rwanda. The repatriation was based on resolutions adopted at a meeting between Rwanda, the DRC, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Addis Ababa on July 24, 2025. Mulindwa Prosper, Mayor of Rubavu District, addressed the returning Rwandans, saying: “There is no reason for any Rwandan to still be called a refugee. You were misled in the forest. You are now witnessing the truth… You are in the hands of a country that loves you, and you must call those left behind to return home.”