Burundi : launch of voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees, several areas of South Kivu excluded

SOS Médias Burundi

Muyinga, March 13, 2026 — The government of Burundi, in collaboration with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has announced the launch of a voluntary repatriation process for Congolese refugees living in camps in Burundi, particularly those at the Busuma site, located in the district of Ruyigi, in the province of Buhumuza in the eastern part of the small east African nation.

This initiative aims to allow refugees who wish to return to their country of origin to do so voluntarily, safely, and with dignity, in accordance with international principles of refugee protection.

A voluntary return

The announcement comes as many Congolese refugees have been expressing their desire to return to the DRC for several years after a long period of exile.

The authorities specify that the return will be exclusively on a voluntary basis. Interested refugees must first register with UNHCR teams present in the camps. Their identity and place of origin will be verified before their departure is organized.

The process is coordinated by the UNHCR in collaboration with the National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (ONPRA), which is responsible for the technical management of the operation.

The Burundian authorities also reaffirmed their commitment to continue providing protection and assistance to refugees who choose to remain in Burundi, while guaranteeing appropriate support for those who decide to return to the DRC.

Financial assistance for returnees

To facilitate their resettlement, refugees who agree to return will receive financial and logistical assistance.

Each returnee will receive, among other things, a transportation allowance of US$100 to reach their final destination.

Additional subsidies are also planned to support families during their reintegration :

US$150 per adult;

US$75 per child under 18;

US$50 for individuals over 50.

Children will also receive US$81 in school assistance, while women aged 12 to 49 will receive a hygiene kit valued at approximately US$46.

Several areas of South Kivu excluded

According to the authorities, the returns will primarily concern certain localities in South Kivu province, notably Uvira, the Uvira-Baraka axis, Fizi, and Mboko, where security and logistical conditions are considered more favorable for receiving returnees.

However, not all localities are included in this program due to the still fragile security situation in certain areas of eastern DRC.

According to the Congolese and Burundian governments, the Sange-Ruzizi Plain-Kamanyola axis is not among the areas targeted for repatriation at this time.

This decision is explained by the security situation in these areas, currently under the control of rebels from the March 23 Movement (M23), part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC).

Mixed reactions among refugees

For refugees from the excluded areas, this decision has elicited mixed reactions.

“We also want to go home, but our area isn’t among those currently authorized,” explains Patrick, a refugee from the Ruzizi Plain.

“Yet, some residents who stayed behind have already resumed their agricultural and commercial activities. We hope the authorities will reconsider this decision soon so we too can return,” he adds.

In the transit centers and at the Busuma camp, the program announcement has also sparked hope among several families whose communities are among the affected areas.

“We’ve been living in precarious conditions far from our country for over three months. If the authorities give us the opportunity to return and the conditions are right, I’m ready to go back to Uvira to resume my work,” says Musafiri, a father and refugee at the Busuma camp.

For other refugees, this return represents an opportunity to reunite with their loved ones and their abandoned lands.

“I want to go back to farming my fields in Uvira. Even if life won’t be easy at first, it’s home,” says Marie, also a refugee in the Busuma camp.

A mass exodus after the 2025 fighting

This program comes in the context of the intensification of fighting in eastern DRC during 2025.

The clashes on the Kamanyola-Ruzizi Plain front line culminated in the temporary capture of the city of Uvira in December 2025 by the AFC/M23 political-military coalition, following battles against the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), supported by the Burundian army and the local Wazalendo militias.

These acts of violence triggered the exodus of more than 100,000 Congolese refugees to Burundi, the majority of whom were women and children.

Upon arrival, several thousand of them were gathered in various transit centers near the border. Subsequently, more than 75,000 refugees were relocated within the country, notably to the district of Ruyigi, at the Busuma site.

Difficult living conditions in the camps

In this camp, living conditions remain particularly difficult, characterized by limited access to basic services and humanitarian conditions deemed precarious by several organizations.

The Burundian and Congolese authorities, along with the UNHCR, reiterate that repatriation will remain strictly voluntary and that no refugee will be forced to return to the DRC.

While registration operations are expected to continue in the camps, many refugees remain torn between the hope of returning home and the uncertainty surrounding the security situation in eastern DRC. In a region where the influence of armed groups remains strong, returning home remains a fragile hope for many, dependent on the evolution of the conflict.