Washington DC – A newly released report by the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reinforced what Rwanda has consistently maintained for decades: the continued presence of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) remains one of the greatest obstacles to lasting peace and security in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the wider Great Lakes region.
The FDLR was formed in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda after members of the former Rwandan Armed Forces (ex-FAR) and Interahamwe militias responsible for carrying out the genocide fled into what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo following their defeat by the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), which ended the genocide and liberated Rwanda. Since then, Rwanda has repeatedly warned that the group has preserved its extremist ideology while rebuilding its military capabilities across eastern Congo. Kigali has consistently argued that as long as the FDLR remains active, regional peace efforts will remain incomplete.
The UN report describes the FDLR as an armed group that continues to fuel insecurity in eastern Congo while posing a direct security concern to Rwanda. According to the report, the organization now operates through three principal factions—FDLR-FOCA, FDLR-RUD, and FDLR-FPP—which continue to coordinate their activities despite adopting different names intended to disguise their affiliation. FDLR-FOCA operates under the name “Bataillon Jungle,” FDLR-RUD uses “FDP-R,” while FDLR-FPP continues to operate under its own designation. The report concludes that these changes reflect an effort to conceal organizational links while preserving a unified command structure.
According to the report, the movement remains under the leadership of senior Rwandan fugitives, including military commander Pacifique Ntawuguka, also known as Gen. Omega Israel, political leader Lt. Gen. Gaston Iyamuremye, known as Victor Byiringiro, Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Nsengiyumva, also known as Faida Hakimu, who commands FDLR-RUD, and Col. Dan Hategekimana, also known as Dan Simplice, who leads FDLR-FPP. Although many of the group’s fighters are identified as Congolese Hutu recruited over time, the report says the senior command remains firmly in the hands of Rwandan leaders connected to the organization’s historical roots.
One of the report’s most revealing findings concerns the group’s military strength. While the FDLR claims to command more than 10,000 fighters and its CRAP branch claims to have more than 20,000 members, UN experts and intelligence services estimate the group’s actual fighting force at between 3,500 and 4,500 combatants. The report suggests that the movement has significantly inflated its numbers in an apparent effort to project greater military power and political influence than it actually possesses.
The report further documents the FDLR’s widespread presence throughout North Kivu. FDLR-FOCA remains active in Nyiragongo, Masisi, Rutshuru, and Walikale, while FDLR-RUD operates mainly in Bwisha, Bwito, Jomba, Binza, Busanza, and Bukoma. FDLR-FPP also maintains positions in Rutshuru. Particularly alarming is the report’s assertion that the CRAP branch of FDLR-FOCA claims to maintain units operating around Goma and has infiltrated operatives into the city itself. Given Goma’s strategic location just across Rwanda’s border, the report highlights the continuing security risks posed by the group’s ability to establish covert networks in major urban centers.
The report also raises serious allegations regarding cooperation between elements of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the FDLR. Although FARDC publicly announced military operations against the group in late March 2026 and deployed specialized “Hiboux,” or Jungle Battalion, units to Walikale, the UN experts report that some officials and military officers allegedly assured FDLR leaders that no meaningful offensive would be carried out against them.
According to the report, a confidential meeting held on April 7, 2026, in Pinga brought together senior FARDC officers and representatives of the FDLR-FOCA leadership. The report states that participants agreed to continue cooperation between the two sides. It further alleges that FARDC helicopters delivered weapons intended for FDLR fighters in late March 2026 and that similar deliveries had occurred during late 2025. These findings, if fully substantiated, reinforce longstanding concerns expressed by Rwanda regarding collaboration between the FDLR and elements within the Congolese security establishment.
The report also revisits commitments made under the Washington Peace Agreement, which identified dismantling the FDLR as a central pillar for achieving lasting regional peace. Six Named Areas of Interest were designated for operations targeting the armed group, with five located in North Kivu and one in South Kivu. March 31, 2026, had been identified as the planned start date for military operations in the Pinga-Lukweti corridor. The report, however, raises questions about the implementation of those commitments in light of the alleged contacts between FARDC personnel and FDLR leaders.
For Rwanda, the report reinforces concerns that have been raised consistently for more than three decades: that the continued existence of the FDLR represents not only a security challenge but also the persistence of an extremist ideology rooted in the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Rwandan officials have repeatedly argued that sustainable peace in eastern Congo requires the complete dismantling of the FDLR, the severing of any support networks that enable its operations, and the faithful implementation of regional and international peace agreements. The latest UN findings are likely to strengthen calls for greater international attention to the group’s activities and renewed efforts to address what Rwanda considers one of the principal drivers of instability in the Great Lakes region.
