David Uwimana is a child born in the Democratic Republic of Congo who was formerly a member of the FDLR. He said that during the three years he spent in the armed group, which opposes the Rwandan government and operates in the forests of the Congo, they were trained to carry out acts of violence and criminal activities.
Uwimana, who is now 17 years old, was among 22 children handed over to their families on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, by the National Commission for Demobilization and Reintegration of Former Combatants.
he said he was captured in the forests of Masisi Territory, in the Ironga area, where his family used to live.
“I was going to visit some relatives when FDLR soldiers, who had gone to collect ammunition at the airfield in Pinga, captured me. They made me carry ammunition. We transported it until we reached their military camp, but they refused to let us go home. After spending three days there, they took us to the battlefield to deliver the ammunition.”
He said that whenever they asked why they were not being allowed to return home, they were told that they would only be released after the ammunition they had carried had been fired and used up.
Once the fighting began, they were given guns. With no way out, they were forced to help fight. It was during this period that he became separated from his family. His family later fled the area, and he eventually reunited with them in Nyabihu District.
Uwimana said he never had the opportunity to continue his education beyond Primary Three because of the war. He also said that during the three years he spent with FDLR, they were trained to carry out acts of violence.
“We went to the battlefield like the others. We helped them steal cassava and other food belonging to civilians because they trained us to abuse parents, destroy property, commit rape and kill.”
Uwimana said that when they were suffering from severe hunger, they were ordered to go and steal livestock from civilians near the city of Goma. When they arrived, they came under attack and scattered in different directions, and he eventually found himself inside a national park.
He continued by saying that he had a friend who had previously escaped from the FDLR and had reached the Mutobo Demobilization and Reintegration Centre. They communicated by phone, and the friend advised him to surrender. He eventually made his way to the main La Corniche border crossing, where he was taken and transferred to the Mutobo Centre. There, he underwent a three-month rehabilitation and reintegration program before being reunited with his family.
He said that while they were still in the forests, FDLR members told them that if they reached Rwanda, they would either be killed or imprisoned somewhere they would never be able to escape from.
“We were given harmful teachings by our commanders, and sometimes we believed what they told us was true. But I was surprised by the way I was received in Rwanda. We were given clothes, food and lessons that helped us adapt to normal life.”
He added that he is ready to return to school because there are many opportunities that people who cannot read or write are unable to access. He is also ready to integrate and live together with other members of his community.
The young man urged those who remain in the forests to make the right choice and return home, saying that much of what they are being told is lies.
The Chairperson of the National Commission for Demobilization and Reintegration of Former Combatants, Nyirahabineza Valerie, said that out of the 24 children who completed the rehabilitation and reintegration program for former combatants, 22 have been reunited with their families, while efforts are still underway to identify the families of the remaining two.
Among the 22 children who have been reunited with their families, the oldest is 18 years old, while the youngest is 16.
Since its establishment, the National Commission for Demobilization and Reintegration of Former Combatants has reintegrated 1,029 children who had previously been associated with armed groups back into civilian life.
