The FDLR, a group long entrenched in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, was created by individuals, many of them fugitives from justice, who fled Rwanda after orchestrating or participating in the genocide.
These included former military officers and ideologues who swore never to return to Rwanda unless it was under their control.
Gakwerere, once a lieutenant stationed at the ESO military academy in Butare, later became the Secretary General of the FDLR. But his legacy is steeped in blood, beginning with the role he played in the early days of the genocide.
According to testimony from CG Evariste Murenzi, a former FDLR member quoted in a 2007 African Rights report, Gakwerere used to openly joke about his involvement in the killings.
'He bragged that he ordered soldiers to storm the residence of Jean-Baptiste Habyarimana, the Prefect of Butare,' Murenzi revealed. This was no ordinary act.
Habyarimana, a member of the opposition Liberal Party (PL), had defied the genocidal regime's push to initiate mass killings in Butare. He promised local residents that he would protect them, a stance that infuriated the interim government led by Théodore Sindikubwabo.
On April 19, 1994, Sindikubwabo condemned Butare residents for not joining the killings. Just two days later, Habyarimana was arrested, by a unit led by Gakwerere, and taken to Gitarama, where he was killed. His murder marked the brutal turning point for Butare.
Among the most shocking crimes linked to Gakwerere is the assassination of Queen Rosalie Gicanda, widow of King Mutara III Rudahigwa. On the morning of April 20, 1994, a military unit including Gakwerere arrived at her modest home in Butare.
They abducted her along with six other women and executed them behind the national museum. Her death devastated survivors and remains one of the most haunting symbols of how far the genocidaires were willing to go.
But Gakwerere's blood-stained trail didn't end there. He is also said to have led a 15-man unit that attacked the Catholic Diocese of Butare and a nearby convent on May 17, killing six people, including young girls, some of whom were stoned to death.
Furthermore, investigations revealed that Gakwerere was the commander of a notorious new military division known as 'New Formula,' responsible for mass killings of Tutsi at roadblocks and various sites across Butare.
Survivors remember the terror instilled by these killings, many watched their families slaughtered in broad daylight, often after being falsely promised protection.
For decades, Gakwerere evaded justice, rising through the FDLR ranks while hiding in the Congolese jungles. His capture by M23 fighters and handover to Rwanda in 2025 marked a crucial step toward accountability.
For survivors, it is a moment that reaffirms their pursuit of justice, memory, and truth. Justice may be delayed, but it is not denied. The haunting memories of Gakwerere's victims, and the survivors who live with those scars, demand that the world never forget the scale of evil that took root in 1994.
His trial will not only expose the depth of his crimes but also serve as a testament to the resilience of those who survived and the ongoing commitment to never allow such horror to happen again.
IGIHE
