The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission has conducted an assessment of former FDLR combatants to evaluate how effective they are applying skills and capital acquired from Mutobo transit centre.
The Chairperson of the Commission, Valerie Nyirahabineza, and the Vice Chairperson, Maj Gen (Rtd) Jack Nziza, with Commissioners and leadership of Rubavu District, on Thursday held an interactive session with 143 former combatants from the 75th intake, three months after their discharge (Oct 2025).
The session focused on evaluating how they are implementing the skills acquired at Mutobo, how they are using the start-up capital they received, opportunities to serve in local government and the reserve force, their journey toward social development, and the challenges they face.
This intake is mainly composed of youth born in DRC jungles and forced to join the FDLR at a very young age, where they were taught to hate Tutsi wherever they are.
For them, these three months represent a miracle, an opportunity to start a new life in society, free from hatred and genocide ideology.
They left the DRC illiterate and have now begun basic education to learn how to read and write. They testify that they are reborn according to the commission.
