Sylvetre Nsengiyumva was eight years old when he joined the FDLR, a militia formed by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and operating in eastern DR Congo with support from Kinshasa.

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Having never known his parents, Nsengiyumva grew up with his grandfather in Rushekera, Rutshuru Territory, North Kivu, where he spent his childhood.

While in Primary Four, a man affiliated with the FDLR, with whom he often interacted, offered him work as a house helper.

"He was a soldier I knew well. One day, he asked me to help move some belongings to his place, but he kept me there. That is how I dropped out of school and started working for him. We moved to the jungles of Rutare,” he recalled.

"We lived in their base. My daily duties were cooking, fetching water, and other chores before I joined the militia.”

Nsengiyumva said he remained around the militia as a civilian until the age of 12, when he was forced into combat.

"FDLR raised me. It is where I grew up, and at 12 they told me to take up a gun and fight,” he said.

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That marked the beginning of years of exposure to the ideology propagated within the militia, which researchers say remains central to the conflict in eastern DR Congo and carries alarming genocidal features.

"They told us not to worry because we would one day return to Rwanda, remove the Tutsi leadership, and take back power,” he said.

"They also claimed we could never return peacefully because Tutsi leaders would kill us.”

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He added that within militia camps, the Genocide against the Tutsi is either denied or deliberately distorted.

"They told us there was no genocide in Rwanda and that the government only talks about it to stay in power,” he said.

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Nsengiyumva was among 244 former fighters, who visited Kigali Genocide Memorial on Tuesday, May 13. They joined officials and staff of Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC) to mark Kwibuka 32 as Rwanda continues the 100-day commemoration period honouring victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

During the visit, the former combatants learned how the Genocide was planned and executed before laying wreaths in tribute to the victims.

The ex-combatants are part of the 77th cohort undergoing deradicalisation, rehabilitation, and civic education at Mutobo Demobilization and Reintegration Centre in Musanze District. Most of them are young people who were born in DR Congo.

"I used to hear about the genocide on the radio in the jungles, but I did not fully understand it,” Nsengiyumva said.

"After coming here, seeing the evidence, and listening to the explanations, I now understand the genocide happened. The misinformation in DR Congo is meant to mislead us.”

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He said the visit changed his understanding of Rwanda’s history and strengthened his resolve not to return to armed groups.

"I learned the truth here, and I do not see myself going back. It is shocking that FDLR leaders still mislead people after everything they did in Rwanda,” he said.

Nsengiyumva also described the harsh realities of militia life, including looting, persecution of civilians, especially Tutsi communities.

"I regret being part of a militia that commits inhumane acts and denies the Genocide against the Tutsi. I also regret losing my chance to study,” he said.

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Nsengiyumva now hopes to start a new life in Mukamira, Nyabihu District, where a friend is waiting to receive him after he completes the Mutobo programme.

"No one hiding in the jungles can overthrow a stable and secure country,” he said.

"I urge those still there to abandon war, come home, and work with others to build a better life.”

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Daniel Kotaniro, 18, who was also born in DR Congo, said the memorial visit helped dismantle years of misinformation spread by armed groups in eastern DR Congo.

Kotaniro joined armed groups at 14 and said militia members were constantly told that Rwanda persecutes returnees and does not care about its citizens.

"I returned with my father, and now I know those were lies,” he said.

"I wish young people still in the forests could come and see the truth for themselves. We were told there was a double genocide and that the Tutsi also killed the Hutu.”

He described the visit as an important learning experience that challenged the narratives he had grown up hearing.

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Odette Nyiramajyambere, who fled Rwanda in 1994 and later worked with the FDLR and other militias, said the visit should encourage more Rwandans stranded in eastern DR Congo to return home.

She said many young people in the forests remain trapped by extremist ideology and misinformation.

The delegation later visited the Campaign Against Genocide Museum at Parliament, where they learned about the liberation struggle that ended the Genocide against the Tutsi.

At the museum, the former combatants learned about the values that guided the Inkotanyi during the liberation struggle, including patriotism, sacrifice, and national unity.

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Col. Desire Migambi, RDF's Chief of Civil-Military Cooperation, took the delegation through Rwanda’s history, from the pre-colonial era, when shared values fostered unity and nationhood, to the colonial period, which institutionalised ethnic divisions through divide-and-rule policies.

He also explained how the Genocide against the Tutsi was planned and executed, stressing that restoring national unity and security became Rwanda’s top priorities post-1994.

"After liberation, the priority was restoring unity, security, and dignity among Rwandans,” he said.

"‘Never Again’ became a long-term national commitment built on those foundations.”

Migambi warned that the FDLR continues to operate on an ideology rooted in hatred and division, urging the former fighters to reject it completely.

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"When we arrived in DR Congo, we were indoctrinated with genocide ideology, and that delayed our return to Rwanda,” said ‘Sgt Maj’ Prosper Ndayisenga, who represented the former combatants.

"But today, we have seen the truth behind the lies, and we urge those still in the forests to separate themselves from the FDLR.”

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Valerie Nyirahabineza, the Chairperson of RDRC, urged the returnees to counter extremist ideology with factual understanding of Rwanda’s history.

"We brought you here to show how divisionism and ideology destroyed Rwanda, so that you can choose a different path and confront lies with truth,” she told them.

"We must draw lessons from this history and continue working to ensure ‘Never Again.’”