Article: Voluntary repatriation of refugees between Rwanda and the DRC: an initiative in search of volunteers
The Deputy High Commissioner of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in charge of operations, Raouf Mazou, announced on Thursday 1 June that Rwandan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and those from the DRC in Rwanda can freely express their desire to be repatriated to their respective countries.
However, despite this decision, it is important to remember that the repatriation will be voluntary. For this, more information and modalities will be communicated at a future technical meeting, which will take place in the coming days.
A tripartite meeting was held in Geneva on May 15, where the Rwandan and Congolese governments reached a potential agreement on this issue. The two governments thus reaffirmed their desire to ensure that “those who want to return voluntarily in safety and dignity to their country (thus the Rwandans currently in the DRC and the Congolese currently in Rwanda) can do so”.
Importantly, the refugee issue has always been a factor fueling the security crisis between the DRC and Rwanda for decades, according to analysts in the region.
With approximately 80,000 Congolese who are in Rwanda and approximately 200,000 Rwandans currently living in the DRC, real adherence to this voluntary repatriation program is crucial for the decongestion of the refugee camps, the stabilization of the security situation between the two country and the reconciliation of the Congolese and Rwandan communities.
It is therefore up to the authorities to take the appropriate measures to guarantee the safety of the refugees and to facilitate their voluntary and dignified return to their country of origin.