The army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has announced the start of a disarmament campaign targeting a militia linked to Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, in a move seen as a key step toward implementing a U.S.-brokered peace deal with neighbouring Rwanda.
The operation focuses on the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed group based in eastern Congo that includes remnants of forces responsible for the 1994 genocide. Rwanda has long demanded that the group be neutralised as a condition for lasting peace in the region.
The push comes weeks after Congolese and Rwandan officials met in Washington to revive the peace framework agreed last year, and shortly after the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on the Rwanda Defence Force over alleged support for the March 23 Movement.
Lieutenant General Nduru Jacques Ychaligonza, deputy chief of staff of the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), said he had been deployed to the northeastern city of Kisangani to oversee preparations for the operation.
“They must hand over their weapons, willingly or by force,” Ychaligonza told reporters, adding that the initial phase would prioritize voluntary disarmament. “We do not need bloodshed.”
He said a reception center has been established in Kisangani to receive fighters who surrender, with plans for their eventual repatriation to Rwanda.
The latest move highlights a central demand in the ongoing peace process. Rwanda has repeatedly accused Congo of cooperating with the FDLR, while Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing M23 rebels who control significant territory in eastern Congo. Kigali has consistently denied supporting M23.
The disarmament effort is being closely watched as a potential test of both sides’ commitment to de-escalation in a conflict that continues to threaten stability across the Great Lakes region.