In the second week of September 2018, five new elements of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) signed up for voluntary repatriation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where they have been cantoned over the years since the 1994 genocide, to Rwanda, their country of origin. This move brought to 27 the total number of repatriated ex-combatants since the launch in April 2018 of the Follow-up Mechanism for the repatriation of ex-combatants in the Great Lakes region. This development follows recent sensitization missions conducted by the Follow-up Mechanism in FDLR transit camps in August 2018, notably in Kanyabayonga camp in North Kivu province, Bahuma camp in Tshopo province, and Walungu camp in South Kivu province.

Note: The Joint Follow-Up Mechanism was launched in Goma, the DRC on the repatriation of disarmed FDLR combatants, and is composed of representatives of the Governments of the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda and the four guarantors of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework agreement, namely the United Nations, the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, and the Southern African Development Community.