Photo of the week : 1,150 Rwandan refugees repatriated in 48 hours

In the space of 48 hours, exactly 1,150 Rwandan refugees were repatriated from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to Rwanda. This large-scale operation was coordinated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in collaboration with the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a politico-military movement allied with the M23, which has controlled the provincial capitals of North and South Kivu since January.

On Saturday, May 17, 360 refugees crossed the border. Two days later, Monday, May 19, another 790 refugees crossed the great barrier of the Corniche between Goma and Gisenyi, bringing back to light a long-forgotten population.

Having lived in the DRC for years, sometimes decades, these Rwandans say they have been prevented from returning home, often under duress from armed groups, particularly the FDLR, which is still active in the region.
“Some of us have lived hidden in the bush for more than ten years,” confides one returnee, exhausted but relieved.

Oscar Balinda, deputy political spokesperson for the AFC, is reassuring :
“We are happy that our neighbors are returning home. This is not the end. We will do everything we can to ensure that all Rwandans still on the Congolese soil can return to their homeland.”

Rwandan authorities welcomed returnees at the border and accompanied them to the transit sites. Prosper Mulindwa, district chief of Rubavu, assured that their security would be guaranteed : “We will protect them and support their initiatives to strengthen the national economy.”

The majority of returnees are women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

The UNHCR and the AFC announced that the operation will continue until the return of all Rwandan refugees still present in the DRC.

Our photo : Returnees hold their children by the hand at the border between Goma (DRC) and Gisenyi (Rwanda), before their transfer to a transit site, May 19, 2025