At least 440 Rwandan refugees were repatriated this Wednesday, September 24, to Rwanda via the Great Barrier Corniche border post in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.
This operation was organized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in collaboration with the authorities of the AFC/M23 movement, which has occupied the city since the end of January.
According to the UNHCR, most of these families lived in the territories of Masisi and Rutshuru. They fled Rwanda in 1994 during the genocide and had settled in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for more than two decades.
Some of the returnees claim to have been born in the DRC to Rwandan parents who have since died and are buried on Congolese soil. Others explain that they arrived in the DRC in 1994 when they were still children.
This voluntary return is part of a broader repatriation program, which has allowed over 4,000 Rwandans to return to their country in 2025, according to Eujin Byun, communication officer for the UNHCR, based in Geneva.
She emphasizes the voluntary nature of the process, reminding that repatriation can only be sustainable if it is “freely consented” and accompanied by security guarantees.
The UNHCR stresses that these operations fully align with its mandate to seek durable solutions for Rwandan refugees. However, the organization recognizes that the political context between the DRC and Rwanda remains complex. Nonetheless, it is convinced that the conflict can be resolved through bilateral cooperation.
On September 9, over 200 Rwandan refugees returned to their country with the agreement of the authorities of both states.
The UNHCR commends the joint commitment of the DRC and Rwanda to support the voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their areas of origin. The agency highlights the need to ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access and emphasizes the importance of placing the rights and protection of displaced persons at the heart of the transition to peace.
Furthermore, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, recently made a week-long visit to the DRC and Rwanda. During a joint press conference held on Tuesday, August 26, with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Interior and Security, Jacquemain Shabani Lukoo Bihango, Filippo Grandi praised the renewed understanding between the two countries, which has allowed for the repatriation of over 1,000 Rwandan refugees from Goma since August.
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