SUMMARY
FDLR-FOCA has consistently engaged in one-sided violence against civilians throughout its conflict against the Government of Rwanda. These attacks have taken place not only in Rwanda’s western, north-western and central regions but also in eastern Nord and Sud Kivu provinces of the DR Congo (Zaire). The group’s actions have been deeply intertwined with the broader regional conflict complex in the Great Lakes region including the Rwanda: Government conflict, the DR Congo government conflict, as well as various local non-state conflicts. Additionally, FDLR-FOCA has carried out isolated attacks on Rwandan refugees in Tanzania and on civilians in Uganda.
FDLR-FOCA’s violence against civilians inside Rwanda, often conducted through cross-border raids from eastern DR Congo (Zaire), has been primarily motivated by its goal of destabilizing the Rwandan government. The group views attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure as a means of weakening Rwanda’s stability. At certain points in the conflict, FDLR-FOCA has also sought to provoke retaliatory attacks from the Rwandan army into eastern DR Congo. The group has believed that drawing Rwanda back into a larger regional conflict—similar to the wars that engulfed the Great Lakes region until 2001—could create opportunities to strengthen its position.
Most of the one-sided violence perpetrated by FDLR-FOCA, however, has taken place in the DR Congo (Zaire) where the conflict between Rwanda and the group was fought most of the 1990s and 2000s. Many of these attacks targeted civilians suspected of collaborating with Rwanda or rival rebel factions in DR Congo (Zaire). This practice intensified after FDLR-FOCA lost the support of the Government of DR Congo (Zaire) in 2002, leaving the group struggling for survival. In response, it increasingly resorted to looting and preying on local communities to secure basic supplies such as food and medicine. Raids on villages and ambushes on rural roads became more frequent, leading to widespread civilian casualties. While FDLR-FOCA had engaged in such predatory attacks before losing official support, their frequency increased significantly afterward.
The year 2009 saw the highest number of civilians killed by FDLR-FOCA . That year, Rwanda and DR Congo launched joint military operations—'Umoja Wetu' and 'Kimia II'— to combat FDLR-FOCA. In retaliation, the group carried out brutal massacres, targeting civilians it accused of collaborating with government forces. FDLR-FOCA deliberately attacked communities where its fighters had previously lived, seeing former neighbors as traitors. Civilians were accused of betrayal and warned they would be punished for the DR Congo government's decision to oppose the militia. Among those targeted were village chiefs and other influential community leaders.
Beyond its political and retaliatory violence, FDLR-FOCA has also used one-sided violence as a tool for securing economic resources. The group has deliberately forced mass displacements by targeting civilians in areas rich in gold and coltan, clearing the way for its own exploitation of these resources. Additionally, it has carried out violent raids on storage sites for mined materials, using force to seize valuable commodities.
FDLR-FOCA’s preferred tactics have included cross-border raids, attacks on rural villages, and ambushes, often employing small arms, machetes, and grenades.
FDLR first became active as a one-sided actor in UCDP data in 2004, when the one-sided violence resulted in at least 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in April that year when the group killed civilians as they retreated from clashes with Congolese army FARDC.
