KIGALI, March 3 — Rwanda on Saturday received 14 rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), including two senior officers, who were captured in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the military said.
In a statement, the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) said the rebels were handed over at the Grande Barriere border post in Rubavu district by the Congolese March 23 Movement (M23) armed group. The fighters were captured during military operations in eastern DRC, the statement added. According to RDF, findings indicate that the FDLR elements, which have operated in the DRC for decades, have relocated to Walikale, Lubero, and Mwenga areas in eastern DRC. “However, it is very likely that some FDLR remnants are still hiding within areas currently occupied by M23,” the statement added.
The M23 armed group has seized key cities and towns, including Goma and Bukavu, the capitals of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces since fighting with government forces escalated last December. Rwanda regards the FDLR as a terrorist organization, linking its members to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. The Rwandan government has maintained that the demobilization and repatriation of FDLR fighters is “a non-negotiable requirement to protect Rwanda‘s territorial integrity.” (Xinhua)
