For decades, attempts to shield the FDLR terrorist group from accountability have persisted. Even former DRC President Laurent-Désiré Kabila once promised to help the group overthrow the Rwandan government, hiding their presence from the international community.
But his efforts proved futile. The same strategy appears to be repeating itself today, with senior Congolese officials, such as the Minister of Foreign Trade and former North Kivu governor Julien Paluku, continuing to claim the group no longer exists.
Yet conflicting narratives from within the Congolese leadership undermine that stance. While some officials argue the FDLR is no longer active, others acknowledge its role in the violence plaguing eastern DRC.
Former Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula often dismissed the group as a myth invented by Rwanda. However, in March 2024, he also admitted the government lacked information on the FDLR's whereabouts, suggesting if any country had intelligence on their location, it should come forward to help eliminate them.
President Félix Tshisekedi, meanwhile, conceded that the FDLR still operates but downplayed its strength, calling it a group of elderly fighters with limited numbers. However, the spokesperson of the Congolese army, Maj Gen Sylvain Ekenge, contradicted this narrative in April 2024 by openly blaming the FDLR for much of the violence that has claimed millions of lives in eastern Congo over the past three decades.
Despite official denial, the FDLR itself has publicly acknowledged its presence in eastern DRC through statements signed by its leadership, including Lt Gen Victor Byiringiro and spokesperson Cure Ngoma. The group frames itself as a movement of Rwandan refugees seeking political rights, while rejecting accusations of violence. In early 2025, after the UN Security Council voted to disband the FDLR, the group criticized the resolution, portraying it as biased and a potential pretext for regional military intervention.
Rwanda has taken a firm stance on the matter. After welcoming thousands of returning refugees from DRC, it revoked refugee status. Many returned, except those suspected of links with the FDLR. The Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, recently stated that no negotiations with the FDLR are possible, citing their role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Evidence of military cooperation between the DRC government and the FDLR has surfaced on multiple occasions, especially during the Congolese army's struggles against the M23 rebel group.
Reports indicate that the FDLR received weapons, supplies, and financial support from the Congolese military. In one instance, an injured member of the FDLR's elite unit, CRAP, was seen receiving medical treatment in Kinshasa after a clash with M23 fighters.
In November 2023, amid growing international pressure, then-Chief of the Congolese Armed Forces, Gen Christian Tshiwewe, ordered all units to cease collaboration with the FDLR. Yet, this directive had little effect, as reports later confirmed deeper cooperation between the two forces.
M23 offensives further exposed the reality on the ground. As the rebel group advanced across North Kivu, it captured dozens of FDLR fighters, including senior commanders such as Secretary General Brig Gen Ezechiel Gakwerere and Maj Gilbert Ndayambaje.
These combatants were later handed over to Rwanda. Many of those captured wore Congolese army uniforms and revealed their involvement in front-line operations against the M23, underscoring their integration into the national army's ranks.
Over the past two decades, the UN Security Council has passed 20 resolutions affirming that the FDLR poses a serious threat to peace in the Great Lakes region and must be dismantled. A May 2025 report by UN experts confirmed that the group continues to operate in coordination with the Congolese military, effectively functioning as part of its command structure.
On June 27, 2025, Rwanda and the DRC, with support from the United States, signed a peace agreement. One of its key provisions calls for the dismantling of the FDLR within 90 days, alongside the removal of Rwanda's security measures on its border.
Rwanda's military spokesperson, Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, recently estimated the FDLR to have between 7,000 and 10,000 fighters, many of whom blend into civilian populations when under attack.
Despite years of denial and obfuscation, the DRC's effort to hide the FDLR has been undone by evidence, testimonies, international reports, and the group's own admissions.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/why-the-drc-s-attempt-to-shield-the-fdlr-has-failed
