Voluntary repatriation: Kigali and Kinshasa in agreement
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 1st in Goma that Rwandan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo and those from the DRC in Rwanda were now free. to express their desire to be repatriated to their respective countries.
The High Commissioner insists on the voluntary aspect that the repatriation of the citizens of two neighboring countries, whose relations have been very cold for years, should involve. According to the UNHCR, there are approximately 80,000 Congolese in Rwanda and approximately 200,000 Rwandans in the DRC, figures which it nevertheless considers “approximate”.
The two governments reached an agreement during the May 15 tripartite meeting in Geneva. In the Swiss capital, Kigali and Kinshasa reaffirmed their desire to ensure that “those who want to return voluntarily in safety and dignity to their country (thus Rwandans currently in the DRC and Congolese currently in Rwanda) can do so”. .
The High Commissioner also announced that a technical meeting should take place in the coming days to discuss the modalities of support for those who wish to return to their places of origin.
The refugee issue has been one of the factors fueling the security crisis between the DRC and Rwanda for decades, according to analysts in the region.
This agreement represents a major step forward for refugees from these regions, who will now be able to freely decide on their voluntary repatriation. However, much remains to be done to improve relations between these two countries, and the refugee issue cannot be considered resolved until the security situation between the DRC and Rwanda is stabilized.