# FDLR's anti-Tutsi ideology roots > FDLR's anti-Tutsi ideology, taught as 'snakes' in Rwanda, endures through decades of conflict. - Title: FDLR's anti-Tutsi ideology roots · Al Jazeera | Shortify - Summary: FDLR's anti-Tutsi ideology, taught as 'snakes' in Rwanda, endures through decades of conflict. The FDLR's anti-Tutsi ideology, rooted in Rwanda's 1959-1994… - Keywords: fdlr, rwa, drc, tutsi, genocide, ethnic conflict, military, exile, rpf, kigali, kinshasa, FDLR's - Source: Al Jazeera — https://aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/22/what-is-the-fdlr-and-why-does-its-anti-tutsi-ideology-endure?traffic_source=rss - Author: Layth Mushtaq - Read time: 2 min - Topics: fdlr, rwa, drc, tutsi, genocide, ethnic conflict, military, exile, rpf, kigali, kinshasa, un ## FDLR's anti-Tutsi ideology roots The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) was built on an ideology that cast the Tutsi as enemies, according to four former senior officers. > in our history and ideology, tutsis are referred to as 'snakes' ## Tutsi as 'snakes' in military training Former officers say soldiers were taught to view Tutsis as 'snakes' that inject poison, requiring killing before biting. > the analogy is that if a snake bites you, it injects poison and you die. therefore, it is better to kill the snake before it bites you ## Ethnic identity formalised under colonial rule Rwanda's Hutu and Tutsi identities were formalised through colonial identity cards in the early 1930s. > in the early 1930s, the colonial administration introduced compulsory identity cards classifying rwandans as hutu, tutsi or twa ## Mass exodus of Tutsis in 1962 By 1962, 120,000 Tutsis had fled Rwanda after the monarchy's overthrow in 1959. > by independence in 1962, about 120,000 people, mostly tutsi, had fled the country ## RPF formed to repatriate Tutsis In 1988, exiles in Uganda founded the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) to secure Tutsi repatriation. > in 1988, exiles in uganda founded the rpf to secure their repatriation ## Inyenzi: Tutsis as 'cockroaches' Exiles branded Tutsis 'Inyenzi' (cockroaches) and taught them to hate the group through school and military. > lieutenant colonel idrissa bizimana said the exiles who launched attacks against rwanda were branded 'inyenzi', meaning cockroaches ## Military training on Tutsi as enemies Soldiers were taught that Tutsis were enemies and required permission to marry Tutsi women. > in the army, we were taught that the tutsi were our enemy ## 1994 genocide and FDLR formation The FDLR was formed in 2000 by former Rwandan army commanders after the 1994 genocide. > the fdlr was officially established in may 2000 by former rwandan army commanders and politicians ## FDLR's denial of genocide involvement In 2005, FDLR's leader denied the group participated in the 1994 genocide. > the fdlr is a very new movement, which appeared six years after the genocide ## FDLR's legal troubles in 2012 In 2012, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for FDLR commander Sylvestre Mudacumura for war crimes. > on july 13, 2012, the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for fdlr military commander sylvestre mudacumura ## FDLR's funding from DRC government The FDLR receives financial and logistical support from the Congolese government. > to this day, the fdlr maintains close ties with the congolese government ## FDLR's influence on eastern DRC The FDLR trains and allies with Congolese armed groups, including Wazalendo. > the fardc, wazalendo and fdlr live together, fight together, occupy the same positions and receive the same uniforms ## 2025 Washington Accords In 2025, Rwanda and DRC signed the Washington Accords to neutralise FDLR. > under the united states-brokered washington accords, signed in 2025, kinshasa committed to neutralising the fdlr ## FDLR's ideology persists The FDLR's anti-Tutsi ideology, taught in schools and reinforced in exile, continues to shape its actions. > officially, the organisation does not say that it intends to kill tutsis; its political narrative is that it seeks to remove what it describes as foreign tutsi ## Key takeaway The FDLR's anti-Tutsi ideology, rooted in Rwanda's 1959-1994 ethnic conflicts, persists through military training and exile networks.