DAKAR — Congo’s army kicked off a major disarmament campaign on March 30 targeting the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a militia tied to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, advancing a U.S.-brokered peace deal with neighboring Rwanda.
The operation follows high-level talks in Washington two weeks ago to revive last June’s agreement, amid U.S. sanctions on Rwanda’s defense forces for supporting the M23 rebels. Rwanda has insisted Congo neutralize the FDLR, comprising remnants of its 1994 genocidal forces, as a peace prerequisite.
Lieutenant General Nduru Jacques Ychaligonza, FARDC deputy chief of staff, announced from Kisangani in the northeast that preparations are underway. “They must hand over their weapons, willingly or by force,” he told reporters, prioritizing voluntary surrenders to avoid bloodshed. A reception center in Kisangani will process defectors, who will later transfer to Rwanda.
Tensions persist: Rwanda accuses Congo of allying with FDLR, while Kinshasa blames Kigali for backing M23, which seized vast eastern territories last year. Recent M23 withdrawals from a dozen North Kivu villages were called routine rotations by rebel spokespeople.
Despite the June peace pact, committing Congo to dismantle FDLR and Rwanda to withdraw forces, clashes continue, but this push signals potential de-escalation.