GOMA – Sylvie Van Den Wildenberg, MONUC’s Public Information Officer in Goma, says the latest unprecedented voluntary surge of FDLR returnees is a sign that operation Umoja Wetu has sent "strong messages” causing many ex combatants to surrender.

Umoja Wetu (Our unity) is the code name for the almost two-week old joint Rwanda-DRC military       offensive against negative forces in DRC’s troubled east, particularly, the ex-Far/Interahamwe grouped under the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

In an interview with The New Times in Goma early Saturday, Van Den Wildenberg stressed that they have seen a big increase in terms of combatants and dependants surrendering and willing to go into MONUC’s Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Reinstallation and Reintegration (DDRRR) programme. 

"It is a sign that the military operation has already sent strong messages. And it is a sign also, indeed, that by doing so, Rwanda and Congo have sent a very clear and strong message that they are together in this,” she said. 

FDLR are remnants of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda that took the lives of  over one million people.

The notorious group later took refuge in neighboring DRC where they continued to wreck havoc – killing, pillaging and raping innocent Congolese, and remained a consistent security threat to Rwanda. 

Relations between the two neighbors – Rwanda and DRC – have been re-energized by the operation and both countries are determined to, once and for all, eliminate the trouble makers in the vast country’s eastern region. 

"There is no way this problem can keep on impeaching on peace, development and the good relationship of the countries in the region,” Wildenberg said. 

"These people should go back home now. Why should we continue to suffer because of these killers?” Celestin Kahongya, a Goma resident told The New Times Friday.
 
• Hostages
  Wildenberg noted that most or the combatants have been kept hostage by their leaders.

"Definitely, we see the first impact of the operation and we hope that people will surrender peacefully instead of going into fighting and taking the population as a human shield and risking creating another cycle of violence,” Wildenberg said. 

 "Indeed, we have some of the most wanted here in Congo and there are critical elements who have been involved in the genocide,” she said. 

 Vast efforts have been made both by the two governments and MONUC, including increased sensitization geared at voluntary disarmament and repatriation. 

  "The Congolese population has been sensitized by the Congolese authorities, community leaders and by MONUC in order to separate themselves, dissociate themselves from the FDLR.” 

 "As you know, definitely when they arrive they just mix themselves with the population. So, the population was kind of trapped for the past fifteen years,” Wildenberg said.
 "We can indicate two things. First, the military pressure has made an impact on the surrendering of some combatants, it is clear.” 

 And second, it seems that the combatants have a tendency to send back home their dependents more than ever, fearing maybe some fighting or something like that,” she said.

The joint DRC-Rwanda military operation is a result of several high level political and security meetings aimed at restoring peace and security in eastern DRC.

Ends