US Senator wants FDLR leaders’ names published

A senior US Senator has suggested that Rwanda publishes the names of leaders of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) accused of violating human rights in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

A senior US Senator has suggested that Rwanda publishes the names of leaders of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) accused of violating human rights in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Senator Richard Durbin from Illinois, Assistant Senate Majority leader, made the call Monday while in Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu in the eastern DRC.

Durbin further called upon the international community to be instrumental in solving the security problems caused by the FDLR.

"The question of FDLR should be resolved by the Congolese government, the Rwandan government and the international community,” Durbin told the French news agency AFP.

"Opportunity should be given to people who were not involved in horrific crimes to go back to Rwanda. There are some who have already been back to Rwanda. They live quite well, because they were not involved in horrific crimes,” Durbin added.

The FDLR are what remains of the ex-Far and Interahamwe militia accused of having masterminded the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and later fled to eastern DRC.

Durbin, who arrived Monday in Goma, is accompanied by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.

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