DR Congo must dismantle the FDLR, separate the militia from its armed forces and repatriate its members to Rwanda as required under the Washington Accords, government Spokesperson Yolande Makolo has said. ALSO READ: Inside FDLR’s frontline base 3km from Rwanda border Makolo said the FDLR remains a genocidal militia whose operations pose a threat not only to Rwanda but also to Congolese civilians and the wider Great Lakes region because of its history of violence and promotion of genocide ideology. The FDLR was formed by remnants of the former Rwandan army and Interahamwe militia responsible for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. ALSO READ: A year without FDLR threat on Rwandan border She made the remarks during an interview with Royal FM on Thursday, August 6, while commenting on recent reports that the Congolese government and the FDLR had reached a protocol on disarmament, demobilisation and cantonment. The Congolese government said the arrangement was reached “in accordance with the Washington agreements and the associated CONOPS” as part of efforts to address the FDLR issue. ALSO READ: Nduhungirehe slams Kinshasa-FDLR protocol However, Makolo said the arrangement does not reflect the neutralisation process agreed under the Washington Accords signed on December 4, 2025. It includes the Concept of Operations outlining how the UN- and US-sanctioned militia must be neutralised as part of efforts to address insecurity in eastern DR Congo and maintaining good relations between the two neighboring countries. “The agreement that we are operating under right now, the framework, is the Washington Peace Agreement, which is very clear on what every party needs to do,” Makolo said. ‘This is not what was meant by neutralisation’ Makolo said the Washington agreement provides a clear roadmap for dealing with the FDLR, arguing that the objective is not simply to announce disarmament but to eliminate the militia’s ability to operate as an armed force. “The way to do this was very clear. There was a CONOPS that was agreed, there was an operational order that needed to be followed and this has not been done,” she said. She noted the agreed process requires separating the FDLR from military structures, dismantling its operations and facilitating the repatriation of its members to Rwanda. ALSO READ: Kagame: Rwanda faces impossible choice to tolerate or defend against FDLR Makolo questioned the recently announced arrangement between DR Congo and the militia, saying it does not correspond with what was agreed under the peace framework. “The agreement that has been reached with the FDLR is something that we seek to understand, because it was not part of the agreement. That is not what was meant by neutralisation.” ALSO READ: Rwanda's defensive measures to remain 'until FDLR threat is gone' ‘FDLR still embedded in the Congolese army’ Makolo said Rwanda has not seen evidence that the FDLR has been separated from the Congolese government coalition. “We know that there has not been any separation between the FDLR from the Congolese armed forces,” she said. “They are still embedded in the Congolese army.” ALSO READ: Former FDLR ‘Colonel’ on how militia funds its operations She described the militia as a mobile force that has operated in eastern DR Congo for decades. “They have been entrenched in the Virunga (mountains) for decades now and they are able to move in and out of areas very expertly because they have been there for a long time and they know the terrain.” Makolo said the group continues to receive support that allows it to maintain its operations. “We know that they continue to receive financial support, political cover and all other kinds of support from DR Congo, including fighting alongside them on the front lines.” ALSO READ: Uganda: Army on high alert over FDLR attacks against civilians “We also know that they have command and control over other militias in DR Congo that are involved in the conflict. So, we have not seen this stop yet,” she siad. “The FDLR leadership is not at all worried about being neutralised. They are not scrambling and afraid that they are going to be repatriated to Rwanda because they know they have the backing of DR Congo.” ALSO READ: Rwanda’s problem with Congo is FDLR, says Kagame Makolo said the danger posed by the FDLR goes beyond armed attacks, warning that the militia’s ideology remains a threat to Rwanda, DR Congo and the wider region. “They have been responsible for attacks in Rwanda, they have been responsible for atrocities in DR Congo, so this is not a group to be coddled,” she said “The FDLR is a security threat to the entire region, by the physical violence that they rely on to push their agenda, but also that genocide ideology in our region is a virus. It is a virus that threatens people’s lives, we need to get rid of that.” ALSO READ: Former FDLR deputy president on how genocidal militia was formed Makolo said Rwanda has the structures required to receive FDLR members who return to the country, noting that existing institutions have experience in handling former combatants. She cited Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission (RDRC) and its Mutobo Demobilisation Centre, which has handled more than 12,000 former combatants since 2001. “We have the expertise. This is well known. We have demobilised not just the ex-combatants but also reintegrated their families in the thousands.” She said those suspected of crimes face justice, while those without a case to answer are supported to return to civilian life. “But their families and others who are drawn into this movement, this genocidal movement, and do not have cases to answer, they will be supported and reintegrated back into their communities,” she said. ALSO READ: FDLR links to Habyarimana's son raise regional security concerns - report She emphasized that Rwanda remains willing to work with DR Congo to dismantle the militia, recalling previous joint operations against the FDLR. She said if DR Congo does not pursue joint action, it should still implement the commitments it signed under the Washington agreement. “Do the right thing. It is laid out in the agreement. It is laid out in the CONOPS and that is what we are expecting should happen.” ALSO READ: Analysts tackle DR Congo’s mineral resources, FDLR, governance failures Makolo said Rwanda had continued implementing its commitments under the agreement, including measures aimed at allowing the peace process to move forward. “We are doing our part and we have worked together with a mediator directly to accelerate the completion of this agreement, to implement our part, meaning that we have been progressively lifting defensive measures in DR Congo and disengaging forces in order to jump-start this agreement.” ALSO READ: FDLR integration into DR Congo army must be addressed – Kagame She reiterated that the process had stalled because DR Congo had not implemented its responsibility of neutralising the FDLR. “The agreement was stuck primarily because we have seen very little political will on the part of DR Congo to implement what they are supposed to implement, meaning the neutralisation of the FDLR.” “You need political will to push through the agreement, to do what you said you would do.” She accused DR Congo of moving away from the agreed framework, saying this reflected “a lack of seriousness and a lack of willingness to get this done. It shows disrespect for the agreement that we signed.”
