Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR)

The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is a predominantly ethnic Hutu militant group operating in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The group has ties to the former officers and soldiers in the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR), who are widely condemned for their role in the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda. The rebel group is an irredentist movement that claims its military activity aims to “drive inter-Rwandan dialogue,” but most international observers believe it aims to topple the Rwandan government. The UN says that the Congolese army (FARDC) has allied with the FDLR and FDLR-linked militias to counter Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the eastern DRC.

The Rwandan government views the FDLR as a direct security threat and has launched multiple military operations in DRC to dismantle the group. Kigali has demanded that the FARDC eradicate the FDLR, citing its ties to the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide. M23 operations and periodic Rwandan military interventions in the eastern DRC have targeted FDLR strongholds, contributing to the ongoing instability in the region.

FDLR fighters have carried out massacres, rapes, and other atrocities against Tutsi communities and rival ethnic groups. The militia exploits eastern DRC’s weak governance and sustains its operations through illegal mining, taxation, and extortion. The UN, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International accuse FDLR of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the systematic targeting of women and children, sexual violence, and burning victims alive.

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The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is a predominantly ethnic Hutu militant group operating in eastern Democratic R... Show More