Press Releases
Former Rwandan Combatants in DRC Visit Rwanda
Goma Office and MONUC DDRRR seek maximum press attention for a small but significant victory for repatriation efforts for Foreign Armed Groups.
The MONUC DDRRR (Disengagement, Disarmament, Repatriation, Rehabilitation and reintergation) Unit travelled by helicopter to Kasiki, North Kivu on Jan. 22 and returned with 11 ex-combatants and dependents of the FDLR off-shoot movement RUD (Rally for Unity and Democracy). These are representatives of a larger group of RUD ex-combatants who expressed a desire to repatriate to Rwanda back in June, 2008. They will participate in a 1-2 week 'go and see' visit to Rwanda, and return to Kasiki to report on their findings. The group will be repatriated at the DDR/DDRRR Headquarters in Goma at 10:30 a.m. on January 23. The Rwandan authorities will be on hand to welcome the group and facilitate their visit. Members of the press are invited to attend.
While the numbers are not large, the International Facilitation team, in conjunction with Government of DRC and Government of Rwanda representative on the Joint Monitoring Group Task Force, hope this visit will demonstrate the continued viability of repatriation as an option for foreign combatants who wish to lay down their arms and rejoin their societies.