Why former FDLR fighters are returning to Rwanda

Musanze, Rwanda – Jean Claude Hategekimana feared that returning to Rwanda could outgo him his life. After years with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), helium decided to permission the equipped radical and instrumentality home. At Rwanda’s Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre, helium began preparing for civilian life.

Born successful 1996 successful Rutsiro District, successful occidental Rwanda, Hategekimana moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with his parents and grew up successful an country controlled by the FDLR. He joined the radical successful 2018, underwent subject grooming and yet reached the fertile of captain.

“I arrived astatine the Mutobo Centre aft warring to support Goma. Following our defeat, I fled to Masisi. After realising that I was warring for nothing, I decided to instrumentality to Rwanda. I came backmost connected February 24,” helium told Al Jazeera.

Captain Jean-Claude Hategekimana, a erstwhile FDLR combatant who returned to Rwanda successful February 2026 and entered the Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre [Layth Mushtaq/Al Jazeera]

Hategekimana said FDLR members had been taught that anyone who returned to Rwanda would beryllium killed.

“Upon arriving successful Rwanda, I realised that the FDLR had been lying to us. For me, returning location felt similar embarking connected a termination mission,” helium said.

His acquisition illustrates the situation of reintegrating erstwhile fighters whose beliefs and fears person been shaped by years successful an equipped group.

Rebuilding civilian life

Francis Musoni, secretary-general of the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission, said the Mutobo centre, located successful Musanze successful Rwanda’s Northern Province, was established successful 2001 to person members of the FDLR and different Rwandan equipped groups returning from the DRC.

The FDLR emerged successful the aftermath of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis. After the genocide, members of the erstwhile Rwandan equipped forces and militia groups fled to what was past Zaire, present the DRC. The Rwandan authorities accuses the FDLR of carrying retired attacks against Rwanda and contributing to cross-border insecurity.

At Mutobo, the rehabilitation programme includes aesculapian care, psychosocial support, civic acquisition and assistance with reconnecting with families. Returnees tin besides interaction relatives and friends done a telephone service, Musoni said.

“We assistance them to physique assurance among themselves, physique trust, and empower them to spell backmost into the assemblage and lend to the improvement of the state unneurotic with their families,” helium said.

Children play connected playground instrumentality astatine the Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre successful bluish Rwanda [Layth Mushtaq/Al Jazeera]

The centre besides allows visitors and media representatives to conscionable returnees. Musoni said those undergoing rehabilitation tin sojourn their communities for abbreviated periods to assistance rebuild their assurance successful returning home.

“They tin question to their communities [during rehabilitation]. They are fixed written support for a week oregon two, and we adjacent facilitate transport,” helium said.

Different journeys home

For the erstwhile commanders interviewed by Al Jazeera astatine Mutobo, the determination to permission the FDLR was shaped by household ties, disillusionment and concerns astir idiosyncratic safety.

Major-General Anastase Munyaneza served successful the erstwhile Rwandan equipped forces successful Kigali’s Kicukiro District during the 1994 genocide. He said helium near Rwanda aft the genocide and aboriginal joined the FDLR, yet commanding its South Kivu sector.

Although helium had travel to judge the group’s beliefs, Munyaneza remained successful interaction with his household successful Rwanda. News of their lives made him question his ain circumstances.

“I was the lone 1 who had fled to the DRC. I regularly received quality astir them. I knew they were inactive alive, attending school, moving for the authorities and improving their lives. I began asking myself what I was doing successful the forest,” helium said.

He added that seeing different members instrumentality safely encouraged him to see going home.

Munyaneza said helium contacted unit from the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission successful the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), who transported him from South Kivu to Bukavu and past to the Congolese-Rwandan border. He subsequently proceeded to Mutobo.

Lieutenant-Colonel Idrissa Bizimana, who was liable for ideology, propaganda and recruitment wrong the FDLR, said his determination to instrumentality followed a alteration successful his convictions.

“I nary longer believed successful the ideology I had been promoting. After receiving verified accusation astir what was happening successful Rwanda, I decided to instrumentality home,” helium said.

Bizimana said helium had been successful interaction with a MONUSCO wide who had offered to assistance him return. Using a outer telephone equipped with GPS, helium sent his determination and the date. A chopper was past dispatched to retrieve him, helium said.

Lieutenant-Colonel Emilien Mpakaniye, who joined the FDLR successful 1998 and was liable for economical affairs astatine its headquarters, said helium began questioning the organisation aft becoming disillusioned with what helium described arsenic its lies.

Colonel Augustin Nshimiyimana, a erstwhile FDLR quality commandant who returned to Rwanda successful 2022 and underwent rehabilitation astatine the Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre [Layth Mushtaq/Al Jazeera]

Colonel Augustin Nshimiyimana, a erstwhile FDLR quality commander, returned to Rwanda successful 2022 and underwent rehabilitation astatine Mutobo. He said helium decided to permission aft different commandant accused him of moving with Rwanda pursuing a disagreement implicit a ngo successful Bujumbura.

Nshimiyimana said the accusation made him fearfulness for his life.

“When they impeach you of moving with Rwanda, it means they see you a Tutsi, and the adjacent measurement is to termination you,” helium said.

Preparing for a caller life

At Mutobo, erstwhile fighters person acquisition and applicable enactment to hole for beingness aft discharge.

Febronie Mukankiko, a teacher astatine the centre, said teaching radical who grew up successful the wood required a antithetic approach.

“Our students are antithetic from mean students. They are adults who grew up successful the forest, truthful teaching them requires peculiar skills. We acquisition further grooming to guarantee that we tin thatch them effectively,” she said.

Febronie Mukankiko, a teacher astatine Rwanda’s Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre, wherever she teaches big erstwhile fighters who grew up successful the wood [Layth Mushtaq/Al Jazeera]

She added that completing their studies could beryllium a important accomplishment for those with constricted entree to ceremonial education.

“When they postgraduate and person their certificates, they are precise happy,” she said.

Musoni said the mean enactment astatine the centre was 5 months, aft which returnees completed a ceremonial discharge process. He said assistance could see fiscal support, vocational training, ceremonial acquisition and assistance establishing income-generating activities. The committee besides follows up with erstwhile residents to measure however they are adjusting to beingness successful their communities.

For those who person spent years distant from Rwanda, leaving Mutobo marks the commencement of different transition: uncovering work, reconnecting with household and adjusting to civilian society.

For Mpakaniye, disillusionment came partially from the opposition betwixt the lives of elder commanders’ families and those of mean fighters.

“First, their household members unrecorded successful Rwanda and successful Europe, portion ours are successful the forest,” helium said.