A total of 277 Rwandans returning from eastern DR Congo, a region ravaged by conflicts for decades, crossed Grande Barrière Border Post in Rubavu District on Tuesday, October 21, hopeful to find safety in their home country as part of an ongoing joint repatriation efforts supported by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The continued repatriation follows a high-level meeting on voluntary return held in Addis Ababa in June between Rwanda, DR Congo, and the UNHCR.
Meanwhile, Rwanda now hosts over 100,000 Congolese refugees, many of whom have been in the country for over three decades.
Leonard Ngabonziza, 76, originally from the former Kibuye [now part of Karongi District], was among those who returned home to Rwanda on Tuesday, October 21. He recounted living in the "bushes" upon his arrival in Masisi territory where continuous wars prevented him from finding peace.
"It’s good that I have arrived back in my home country," Ngabonziza told The New Times after crossing the Rubavu-Goma border. "It was not easy, living in Congo with non-stoppable wars, every day."
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Feza Ntawiha, 29, a mother of three who was born in Masisi, was also among the returnees delighted to cross into her motherland.
"It feels good when you come back home," she said.
The new arrivals will be temporarily housed at Nyarushishi Transit Centre for repatriation procedures, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA), joining over 4,000 others who have willingly returned since January 2025.
Rubavu District Mayor, Prosper Mulindwa, officially welcomed the group, assuring them of government support to help them return to normal life through various programs designed to lift Rwandans from poverty.
"There are various programs to help vulnerable families that will also consider you," Mayor Mulindwa told returnees.
ALSO READ: UNHCR boss urges peace in DR Congo to enable safe return of refugees
