The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) have issued a stern ultimatum to all factions of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), ordering them to lay down their arms and surrender to Congolese authorities or the United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO.
The directive, released in a statement on Friday, October 10, follows the adoption of an operational order on October 1 by the Joint Supervisory Committee overseeing the Washington Agreement, a security pact signed between the DRC and Rwanda under United States mediation.
FARDC spokesperson Major General Sylvain Ekenge, who signed the statement, warned that any refusal by FDLR combatants to comply would result in forcible disarmament.
“Any resistance will be met with coercion or the use of force,” the statement read, while also urging rebels to surrender “without violence or bloodshed.”
The Congolese army further cautioned its own personnel against any form of collaboration with the FDLR, stressing that violations of this “permanent instruction” would attract severe disciplinary action.
Civilians in contact with the rebel group were also urged to disengage and encourage combatants to accept repatriation to Rwanda.
The move comes just two days after President Félix Tshisekedi extended what he called an offer of “peace for the brave” to Rwandan President Paul Kagame during the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, hosted by the European Union.
The FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu rebel group operating in eastern DRC for nearly three decades, has long been a key source of regional instability. The latest directive signals renewed resolve by Kinshasa to dismantle the group as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to normalize relations with Kigali.
The Source Reports.
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