Rubavu District, Busasamana Sector – On the 26 September 2025, the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC), in partnership with Rubavu District, organised a major community sensitisation event, bringing together 178 beneficiaries of the 74th phase, including 113 former members of the FDLR and affiliated armed groups, along with their families.

During the event, residents of the sector were also urged to prevent their children from joining armed groups.

The event was graced by Hon. Valerie Nyirahabineza, President of RDRC; Vice President Maj. Gen. (RTD) Jacques Nziza; Commissioner Gatabazi Jean Marie Vianney; Commissioner Nyirarugero Dancille; and Commissioner Muhongayire Jacqueline, along with security officials, local leaders, and other partners.

The event took place at the parish hall of Busasamana, a border sector neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo, an area historically targeted for recruitment by the FDLR.

Speaking to the beneficiaries, RDRC President Hon. Valerie Nyirahabineza emphasised the campaign’s goal: to continue encouraging those still in the DRC forests to return home. “His Excellency the President of the Republic has laid the foundation for national progress. We call on those lingering in the Congolese jungles to return and embrace life in Rwanda, rather than perish in the wilderness,” she said.

The event also featured testimonies from early returnees who shared their experiences with those recently repatriated. Among them, Senyoni Alphonse, who left the FDLR over 15 years ago, spoke of the opportunities Rwanda offered him. “The country welcomed me just like any other Rwandan, regardless of my past. Today, I am gainfully employed, and my four children have all completed university, including my daughter, who is now a medical doctor,” he said. He added that Rwanda provides opportunities for all, and recounted convincing many of his former colleagues in the J5 group to return home.

Several beneficiaries highlighted how the FDLR exploits misguided beliefs, telling young recruits that God has promised them a return to Rwanda through fighting—a falsehood used to manipulate and endanger the youth.

During a panel discussion, Commissioner Gatabazi Jean Marie Vianney stressed the country’s readiness to welcome returnees. “Everyone who comes back is embraced. We provide guidance, training, and support to them and their families. Rwanda opens its arms to all—there is no reason to remain in the forests,” he said.

Hon. Nyirahabineza also urged residents of border sectors to protect and prevent  their children from FDLR recruitment, reminding them that the nation has provided every citizen with the tools to live with dignity.

New returnees were shown available opportunities for entrepreneurship, access to public services, and pathways out of poverty, as highlighted in a presentation by LODA representative Mr. Anicet Rwahama.

The event concluded with the 74th phase pledging to encourage their peers still in DRC Jungles to return swiftly. Attendees shared a meal together, while performances by former Child soldiers IRADUKUNDA Juvenal Mani, Nkurunziza Patrick, and Niyibizi Venant added a festive note, entertaining the large audience gathered.

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