UN Report Says FDLR Fighters Integrated into Wazalendo Coalition in Eastern DRC

KINSHASA, DR Congo, July 5, 2026 - A United Nations panel of experts has reported that cooperation between the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and the Wazalendo coalition has deepened in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with FDLR fighters now embedded within several Wazalendo armed groups operating in North Kivu Province. According to the report, the collaboration extends across Nyiragongo, Masisi, Rutshuru, Walikale, Lubero, and Beni territories, where Wazalendo factions have conducted military operations independently and alongside the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), particularly against AFC/M23 positions. The report states that some Wazalendo fighters have received specialized military training and have benefited from drone-supported operations. The UN experts said FDLR combatants have been integrated into several Wazalendo groups, particularly those sharing anti-Tutsi ideology, including CMC/FDP, FDDP, and APCLS. The report argues that this cooperation has strengthened the FDLR while allowing it to evade international efforts calling for its dismantlement under the June 2025 Washington peace agreement. The report further alleges that senior Congolese military officials were aware of the FDLR's presence within Wazalendo formations and that cooperation included intelligence sharing, logistical support, and weapons transfers. It also describes three regional Wazalendo coalitions operating across North Kivu and identifies two of them as hosting FDLR fighters. Additionally, the experts cite evidence of arms deliveries and continued coordination between FARDC officers and senior FDLR commanders, despite international commitments to dismantle the armed group.