Musanze, Rwanda – 28 October 2025

The pitch at Mutobo Reintegration Centre was alive with cheers today as youth preparing for reintegration under Phase 75 faced off in a friendly football match against local youth from Busogo and Gataraga. What began as a simple game quickly became a powerful symbol of peace and unity.

Commissioner Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, launching the match on behalf of the Chairperson of the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), encouraged the youth to embrace their second chance:

“Choosing peace is choosing the future. Stand firm, encourage others still in the forests to return, and never engage in violence in a country that has opened its arms to you,” he said.

The Peace Tournament demonstrates that Rwanda remains a nation ready to welcome home every citizen who chooses the path of peace—particularly those who have separated from armed groups in the DRC.

As the match progressed, excitement grew. The Vice Chairperson of RDRC, Maj. Gen. Jacques Nziza, and Commissioner Nyirarugero Dancille later joined to encourage the Phase 75 team, which has now completed its training at Mutobo.

For many of these young men, life has come full circle. They left the forests behind—and today, on the football pitch, they scored more than goals. They scored hope.

The match ended 3–1 in favour of the Busogo and Gataraga youth.