The so-called FDLR General Gakwerere is a scapegoat for Rwanda's propaganda, claims FARDC

The Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) has claimed to have caught 14 people they say are part of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a group against the Rwandan government. According to the RDF, these individuals were captured in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the M23 rebels, which Rwanda supports, and are currently controlling parts of eastern Congo.

However, the government of Congo has strongly denied these claims by Rwanda, calling them false stories made to support Rwanda's continued military presence in Congo. The Congolese army stated that the supposed FDLR members given to them by M23 were actually just former prisoners from Rwanda, put in Congolese army uniforms to look like captives.

A key point of dispute is the identity of a supposed major player named by Rwanda, Brigadier General Jean-Baptiste Gakwerere in some reports and Brigadier General Ézéchiel Gakwerere in others, with conflicting information about his birthplace and history. This discrepancy casts doubt on Rwanda's account.

Inside sources and Rwandan refugees in the DRC shared that RDF and M23 forces found Ézéchiel Gakwerere in Goma on February 6, 2025. Reportedly weak and having been sick for three years, he did not fight his capture. He was kept in a safe house in Goma by Rwanda’s intelligence and security services, where he was allegedly tortured for weeks before the RDF announced his arrest.

The official story from Rwanda paints Gakwerere as leading an FDLR unit when arrested. However, evidence suggests that he had been working as an informant for Rwanda's intelligence in the DRC since 2001 and was not actively leading any rebel group.

The article discusses how Rwanda uses these captured individuals as a way to justify its actions in Congo amidst growing international criticism. By presenting these people as threats, Rwanda aims to support its ongoing interventions in the region. Despite Rwanda's claims of providing security, the true goal appears to be the control of Congo’s mineral-rich land.

Rwanda's actions have led to skepticism from the international community, especially as the M23 moves closer to major Congolese cities, leaving destruction in their path. The situation has revealed Rwanda's deeper intentions of exploiting Congo’s resources, as the country relies heavily on foreign aid and has considerable debts.

Diplomatic experts suggest that no amount of media manipulation will protect Rwanda’s president, Kagame, from losing support from Western countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, who have begun to reconsider their aid and stance on his policies. They advise that Rwanda must pull back its forces from Congo to avoid further international isolation and address the realities on the ground.