Rwandan and Congolese refugees: repatriation advocated by the UN, a question of will
Raouf Mazou, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in charge of operations, announced on Thursday 1st that Rwandan refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo and those from the DRC in Rwanda will be able to freely express their desire to to be repatriated to their respective countries. The “voluntary” aspect must be respected so that repatriation takes place in the safety and dignity of all.
Indeed, there are currently around 80,000 Congolese in Rwanda and 200,000 Rwandans in the DRC. At a technical meeting to be held soon, the modalities of support relating to the repatriation of these citizens could be discussed.
This joint decision between the governments of the DRC and Rwanda is a first step towards a solution to the security crisis that has been raging for decades between these two neighboring states. It is also more than welcome news when we know that the refugee issue is one of the main factors of conflict between the two nations according to analysts in the region.
It remains to be seen how this decision will be implemented and whether all the refugees concerned will volunteer for repatriation. Let’s hope that this first positive step will be the beginning of rapprochement between the two countries and make it possible to put an end to the tensions which have opposed them for so long.