A heavily armed M23 convoy arrived at the no man’s land between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, its presence marking a moment of both tension and reckoning. Flanked by elite fighters of M23, wielding heavy weapons, senior M23 officers moved with precision as they handed over 14 captured FDLR combatants to Rwandan security officials.
Among them was Brigadier General Jean Baptiste Gakwerere—one of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and a convicted war criminal responsible for the brutal murder of Queen Rosalie Gicanda, Rwanda’s last queen. Before the transfer was finalized, an M23 officer turned to his Rwandan counterpart and stated, “See, we treated them well. They are healthy. Now you can take your people—the killers.”
The convoy, heavily guarded and prepared for any threat, completed the handover before turning back toward the Congolese side of the border. The 14 captured FDLR fighters were immediately processed at the Goma border post, where security personnel began their identification and interrogation.
The Captured FDLR Combatants:
• Brig Gen Jean Baptiste Gakwerere
• Maj Ndayambaje Gilbert
• SM Nsabimana August
• Sgt Mupenzi JMV (Gakwerere’s escort)
• Cpl Sibomana Laurent
• Cpl Ishimwe Patrick
• Cpl Ibyimanikora Concorde
• Cpl Ukwishaka Sadam
• Cpl Hategekimana Eric
• Pte Ndayambaje Pascal
• Pte Rukundo Daniel Desire
• Pte Ntakirutimana Niyonzima
• Pte Ndayambaje Fabien
• Pte Uwiduhaye Gilbert
For Rwanda, the capture of Gakwerere is particularly significant. He is one of the men responsible for the murder of Queen Rosalie Gicanda, who was dragged from her home in April 1994 and executed by genocidal forces. A Rwandan military judge who was part of the panel that tried her killers in 1999 welcomed the news of Gakwerere’s capture, calling it a major milestone. Recalling the case, the judge noted that Gakwerere had managed to flee at the time, unlike other key figures such as Rekeraho, Corporal Nizeyimana, and Dr. Kageruka, who faced justice. 
A former prosecutor from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) also reflected on the moment, highlighting how certain names stood out in his years of prosecuting genocidaires. Among them, he recalled, were Gakwerere, Lt. Col. Muvunyi, Lt. Col. Samuel Imanishimwe, Adjutant Chef Rekeraho Emmanuel, and Counselor Mika Muhimana—figures whose crimes were among the most egregious.
The Failure of the DRC Government
This dramatic turn of events exposes the complete failure of the Tshisekedi government in securing eastern DRC. While Kinshasa continues to engage in anti-Rwanda rhetoric and warmongering, it has utterly failed to deliver security and justice in its own territory. The very task that should have been carried out by the Congolese government—neutralizing the FDLR—is instead being done by M23, an armed rebel group. The real power brokers in the region are now groups like M23, who are doing what Tshisekedi could not—bringing FDLR criminals to justice.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, did not mince words as he called out the hypocrisy of the international community.
“We told Western countries many times that, for the past 30 years, the FDLR genocidal force has been a permanent threat to Rwanda, especially as they are now supported by the Congolese government and embedded in the FARDC.”
“Unfortunately, these world powers refused to listen to us, arguing that the FDLR combatants are just a bunch of ‘old and weak’ people, and that Rwanda is using them as a pretext to ‘invade Congo for minerals.’”
He pointed out the long-standing failure of international peacekeeping missions, particularly MONUSCO.
“Yet, the FDLR, a movement that has continuously recruited on its genocide ideology, was even supported by MONUSCO, a UN mission that was supposed to neutralize them, as per several UN Security Council resolutions.”
“And today, a group of FDLR combatants captured on the battlefield—including Brig Gen Jean Baptiste Gakwerere, one of the murderers of Queen Rosalie Gicanda—were handed over to Rwanda by the AFC/M23, a rebel movement that is doing the very job that the self-righteous international community should have done over the past 30 years.”
For Rwanda and the region, this handover represents more than just a battlefield victory—it is a step toward justice for the victims of the genocide and an assurance that those who thought they could evade accountability will ultimately face the consequences of their crimes.
The killers of Queen Rosalie Gicanda are slowly but surely falling into the hands of justice. Those who once thought they could escape their past are now being captured, one by one.