Notorious FDLR fighter was caught in DR Congo
The latest setback for the Kinshasa-backed militia, whose leaders were sanctioned by the Rwandan government last month, is the capture of a member of the terrorist organization FDLR in eastern DR Congo.
On Friday, October 24, news of Yoweri’s capture—also known as Tokyo—began to spread.
The rebel-controlled province’s vice governor, Willy Manzi, said the militiaman was taken by AFC/M23 forces in Masisi, North Kivu.
In a post on X, Manzi wrote, “Another notorious combatant has been captured, marking a significant loss for Kinshasa,” and included a video of the militiaman being paraded to the community.
“Tokyo is a very terrible man. He committed heinous crimes like rape, murder, and the burning of innumerable homes alongside people like Jean-Marie of Nyatura, Tiger, and Ignace Dunia. One of the biggest setbacks to the FDLR leadership was his capture.
According to reports, the combatant hails from Western Province’s Kibuye, Karongi District.
Founded by survivors of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi, the US- and UN-sanctioned FLDR has been operating in eastern DR Congo for 25 years. It is the offspring of ALIR and other organizations.
FDLR leaders were included in the list of people sanctioned by the Rwandan government on October 15. These are Maj Gen Pacifique ‘Omega’ Ntawunguka, the leader of the FDLR-FOCA, and Lt Gen Gaston Iyamuremye, the president of the FDLR, also known as Victor Byiringiro.
Together with the Congolese army, the militia fights the AFC/M23 rebels, who currently hold large areas of North and South Kivu, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu.
For years, Rwanda has demanded that the FDLR be disarmed and that the DR Congo stop supporting the militia that has killed civilians in its operations.
At least 14 persons were killed in Kinigi, Musanze District, in 2019 by one of its most recent attacks. Additionally, the group is notorious for inciting ethnic violence and hate speech against Tutsi populations in Congo.
In a peace agreement mediated by the United States government, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo agreed to disband the militia in June of this year. The two governments did, however, acknowledge in early September that the deal’s implementation is still moving slowly.
During their meeting earlier this week in Washington, DC, Rwandan and Congolese officials reaffirmed their commitment to the peace deal. The FDLR’s neutralization and the removal of Rwanda’s defense measures are two of the agreement’s primary clauses.
