While the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had publicly announced its intention to dismantle the FDLR, emerging information shows that cooperation between the two sides never stopped. Instead, it continued behind the scenes, in clear contradiction to the signed peace agreements and international resolutions.
Since October 10, 2025, a statement issued by the DRC armed forces called on FDLR fighters to lay down their weapons and end all cooperation with state forces and civilians.
That statement was expected to be a major step toward implementing the peace agreement signed between Rwanda and the DRC on June 27, 2025, with the facilitation of the United States.
The FDLR is an armed group that has existed for more than two decades and is widely accused of being a key source of insecurity in the Great Lakes region. It was formed in 2000, mainly composed of former Rwandan government forces (Ex-FAR), Interahamwe militia members, and other individuals involved in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, who fled to the DRC after their defeat.
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Since 2022, the group has intensified its cooperation with the DRC armed forces in the fight against M23. This collaboration has been evident in joint military operations involving FARDC and armed groups grouped under the alliance known as Wazalendo.
The Government of Rwanda has repeatedly expressed concerns that the FDLR receives direct support from the DRC government, including weapons, military training, food supplies, and operational protection. Kigali has consistently warned that the failure to address this issue poses a serious threat to Rwanda’s security and to regional stability, given the group’s history and ideology.
Although the peace agreement signed in Washington, D.C. clearly outlined obligations to dismantle the FDLR, a UN experts’ report released on December 8, 2025 revealed that the FARDC statement of October 10 created tensions within the DRC armed forces themselves, as well as among the allied armed groups.
According to the experts, FDLR fighters reacted with anger and fear of abandonment, a situation that also upset Wazalendo groups that had been fighting alongside them. This led some senior FARDC officers and government representatives to send reassuring messages to the FDLR, promising that cooperation would continue.
The report states that both sides agreed that FARDC lacked the capacity to dismantle the FDLR quickly, and that their cooperation was still considered necessary in the fight against groups opposing the government, particularly in eastern DRC.
These findings are reinforced by evidence showing that on November 29, 2025, DRC forces supplied the FDLR and other allied armed groups, including NDC-R and Nyatura, with ammunition and food. These supplies were delivered to areas including Bibwe and Hembe, following orders issued by the commander of the 3402nd Regiment of the DRC armed forces, Colonel Salomon Tokolonga.
Colonel Tokolonga is already on the United States sanctions list for his long-standing role in providing support to the FDLR and other armed groups implicated in killings and serious abuses against civilians in eastern DRC.
These new revelations raise serious questions about the sincerity of the DRC government in implementing the peace agreement and respecting international obligations. Analysts warn that continued cooperation with a group like the FDLR risks undermining progress made in peace talks and jeopardizing security across the entire region.
As Rwanda continues to demand concrete action to dismantle the FDLR, the international community is now under pressure to assess whether the DRC is truly honoring its commitments or whether its peace rhetoric continues to contradict realities on the ground.
The situation remains unclear, but information from multiple sources continues to indicate that the FDLR is still receiving support, a development that carries serious implications for trust in the prospects of lasting peace in the region.
