More than 500 Rwandan refugees have returned to Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in the first major step under a new peace and repatriation agreement between the two countries and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
According to the Rwandan Ministry of Emergency Management, a total of 533 people — mostly women and children — arrived in Rwanda on Monday, August 25. They were transported to a transit center in Rusizi District, located in western Rwanda, where they will receive support before being reintegrated into their communities.
This return is the first group of refugees to be repatriated under an agreement signed last month between Rwanda, the DRC, and the UNHCR. The agreement aims to ensure that refugees can return to their home countries voluntarily and safely, in line with international human rights laws.
The returnees had been living in a temporary camp in Goma, a city in eastern DRC, which is currently under the control of the M23 rebel group — a militia involved in long-standing regional conflicts.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, Olivier Nduhungirehe, welcomed the development, saying in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that it was “good to note” the ongoing return of refugees “despite the noise made by some Western spoilers.”
The return follows recent diplomatic breakthroughs, including:
A peace agreement brokered in Washington between Rwanda and the DRC,
A Declaration of Principles signed on July 19 in Doha between the Congolese government and the M23 rebels.
These steps are seen as a major effort to ease tensions and reduce conflict in the region, which has suffered years of violence and political instability.
The Ministry of Emergency Management confirmed that the returnees will go through medical checks, receive basic supplies, and participate in community reintegration programs. Authorities say more groups of refugees are expected to return in the coming weeks.
According to the UNHCR, thousands of Rwandans have been living in refugee camps in eastern Congo for years, many of them displaced by regional conflicts dating back to the 1990s.
The return of over 500 Rwandan refugees marks a hopeful step forward in the long journey toward peace and stability in the Great Lakes region. As diplomacy continues and trust is slowly rebuilt, more displaced people may finally find a path home.
