39 Congolese Civilians Handed to M23 After Being Mistakenly Sent to Rwanda

Thirty-nine (39) civilians from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including women and children, have been handed over to AFC/M23 rebels in the city of Goma after they were mistakenly taken to neighboring Rwanda under a UN-backed disarmament and reintegration program intended for former FDLR fighters.

The group was returned to the DRC late last week through the Grande Barrière border crossing linking Rwanda and the DR Congo before being transferred to AFC/M23 authorities, who currently control Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province.

The incident has sparked fresh concerns over the implementation of MONUSCO’s Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration, Repatriation and Resettlement (DDRRR) program, which is designed to encourage members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) to lay down their weapons and reintegrate into civilian life.

Authorities and observers are now questioning how the 39 civilians were mistakenly identified and transported to Rwanda under a program intended exclusively for former combatants, despite reportedly having no links to the FDLR armed group.

Their subsequent handover to AFC/M23 has further intensified concerns about their safety, given the fragile security situation in eastern Congo, where fighting between government forces, rebel groups and local militias has displaced millions of people.

The development also raises broader questions about screening procedures within the MONUSCO-led program and whether sufficient safeguards are in place to distinguish civilians from armed group members before cross-border transfers take place.