The elements of the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) have been reduced into small groups causing violence in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the military said on Thursday.
The coordinator of the anti-insurgency Kimia ll operations, general Amuli, told a press briefing that arrangements had been made to cut off their mining zones still acting as their source of supply.
According to Amuli, the objective of Kimia ll operations in the east of the DRC is to cut off FDLR elements from their source of supplies.
"We have the conviction that we are going to neutralize them," he said, adding that they will not have the freedom to take taxes, practice agriculture or do business in minerals.
The FDLR comprises Rwandan Hutus rebels who have taken refuge in the DRC since the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The Rwandan government accuses them of genocide.
According to a recent UN report, the FDLR commercialize minerals they illegally mine in the DRC through NGOs.
The FDLR suffered a heavy blow early in the year in the joint military operation by the DRC army known as FARDC and the neighboring Rwandan troops. The cooperation between the former hostile countries has not only defused tensions in the DRC, but improved relations between Kinshasa and Kigali. The FARDC has continued tracking down the FDLR elements since the pullout of Rwandan troops in late February.
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