On Saturday, March 1, 2025, the M23 rebel group handed over Brigadier General Gakwerere Ezéchiel of the FDLR and his companions, who had been captured in battle, to Rwanda.
Gakwerere, also known by other names such as Sibomana Stany, Julius Mokoko, or Sibo Stanys, was the head of the military office within the FDLR.
M23 captured him along with Major Ndayambaje Gilbert and 12 others, all former FDLR fighters, during combat.
On this Saturday, M23 handed them over to Rwandan security forces in a ceremony held at the main La Corniche border.
Among those handed over to Rwanda was 27-year-old Ukwishaka Saddam, who stated that he had never fought against Rwandan troops, as the international community accuses Rwanda of being in the DRC. He insisted that the only group he fought against was M23.
He added that he regretted spending years fighting for the FDLR without ever receiving a salary.
Colonel Joseph Mwesigye, the commander of the 509th Brigade in the Rwandan army, told the media that these fighters would be investigated individually upon arrival in Rwanda. Anyone found to have participated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi would be brought to justice.
He stated: “The next step is to hand them over to the relevant authorities so they can be investigated one by one. If any of them are involved in genocide crimes, they will face justice. If they are implicated in other crimes, they will be referred to the relevant authorities. The rest will be taken to Mutobo.”
The 14 fighters handed over by M23 to Rwanda were part of a coalition of forces fighting alongside the Congolese national army (FARDC), including the FDLR, Wazalendo, and the Burundian army.
