Title: The DRC prepares the repatriation of Congolese refugees settled in Rwanda
The repatriation process for the 80,000 Congolese refugees settled in Rwanda has been initiated by the Congolese government. Christophe Lutundula Apala, Deputy Prime Minister, is going to Geneva this weekend to meet the Rwandan authorities as part of these negotiations.
The President of the Republic had already initiated this process and had requested a DRC-HCR-Rwanda tripartite to repatriate the respective nationals of the two countries. On March 15, the Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Christophe Mboso, announced that a resolution would soon be adopted to govern the process.
The Congolese authorities are taking their time to carefully study the issue and will involve the customary authorities in identifying the Congolese refugees settled in Rwanda. The Congo does not want to speed things up to avoid any form of haste in this matter.
The situation had escalated for a few years with accusations of hate speech on the Rwandan side, but that seems behind us since Rwanda decided to change course to highlight the border and refugee file.
This approach is welcomed with enthusiasm by the Congolese authorities who hope to definitively resolve the problems raised and achieve a true and lasting reconciliation between the communities. The success of this repatriation process will be a further step towards stabilizing the borders and improving relations between the two countries.