Rwanda rebels condition return by inter-Rwandan dialogue

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.apa

The Rwandan rebels of the Democratic forces for the liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) have again laid out more conditions for their voluntary return to Rwanda by requesting the holding of an inter-Rwandan dialogue, sources said Thursday.
The Disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, reintegration and rehabilitation (DDRRR) section of the UN Mission in DRC (MONUC) and the Walikale provincial parliament in North-Kivu (east) launched a campaign, last Tuesday, to sensitise the FDLR to return to their country.

During the process, a film on the improvement of the living conditions of the ex-combatants who returned home and integrated the Rwandan society was screened. But the documentary did not obviously convince the FDLR who, once again, posed as precondition to their return the holding of an inter-Rwandan dialogue.

The provincial parliament of North-Kivu stated that the sensitisation operation is the last chance given to the FDLR for their voluntary repatriation to Rwanda.

Rwandan officers of the FDLR had already conditioned their return by the holding of this dialogue during previous public awareness campaigns. According to them, this dialogue is not yet on the agenda of the Kigali regime.

The Congolese government had pledged to “launch urgent military operations” against the FDLR in accordance with an agreement signed with Rwanda on 9 November 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Stationed at the Kamina military base in the Katanga province by the DRC government, the FDLR, who are mostly youths, are former soldiers who speak kinyarwanda (the national language of Rwanda).

The FDLR presents itself as a political-military organisation created in May 2001 and hostile to the Rwandan patriotic Front (FPR) which rules since 1994.

There are the survivors of all the tragic events which struck Rwandans since 1990, especially the destruction of the Rwandan refugee camps in eastern DRC between 1996 and 1997.

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