Former FDLR members speak about collaboration between the armed group and FARDC

By The Inspirer.

Military attachés representing various countries in Rwanda visited the Mutobo Center, operated by the National Commission for Demobilization and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants (RDRC), where they listened to testimonies from former members of the FDLR.

The group was received by the Rwanda Defense Forces spokesperson, Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga, who translated the testimonies of those who once served in the FDLR.

The former fighters shared how the FDLR closely collaborated with the military of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Burundian military, and the Wazarendo rebel group. They explained that these armed groups received military equipment from Congolese leaders.

Mutobo Center Director, Rtd Maj Mudeyi Cyprien, stated that the former fighters, who had spent time in Congo’s forests, undergo a three-month civic education program. They are also taught a trade to help them reintegrate into society when they return to civilian life.

The visit by the ‘Defence Attachés’ to Mutobo aims to better understand the various challenges posed by armed groups in the region.