DRC: tensions and refugees’ repatriation under the watchful eye of the M23 in the east of the country

SOS Médias Burundi

Goma, August 27, 2025 – The Rutshuru territory in North Kivu and the city of Goma, the provincial capital, are experiencing new tensions linked to the operations of the M23 armed group. This former Tutsi rebel group, which took up arms again in late 2021 to denounce the Congolese authorities’ failure to respect its reintegration commitments, is affiliated with the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a politico-military movement hostile to Kinshasa. The M23 claims to target only the FDLR (Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), where some Rwandan genocidaires implicated in the 1994 massacre of Tutsis are still located.

On Monday, August 25, 2025, 533 Rwandan refugees were repatriated from Goma to Rubavu (Rwanda) via the Great Barrier Reef border crossing. According to the UNHCR, these returns are voluntary, and 4,245 refugees have already returned to Rwanda since January 2025.

However, local sources report that some repatriations may be carried out under pressure, citing intimidation and logistical constraints. The M23 denies these allegations, stating that its operations exclusively target hostile armed forces and that no Rwandan civilians or refugees are targeted.

Meanwhile, a Human Rights Watch investigation, published on August 20, 2025, accuses the M23 of committing summary executions last July in 14 villages around Virunga National Park, in Rutshuru territory. The M23 rejected these accusations, denouncing the report as “false and unverified on the ground.”

Tensions persist between Kinshasa and Kigali over the Rwandan alleged role in supporting the M23. Congolese authorities denounce the Rwandan involvement, while Kigali denies any direct military aid to the rebel group.