A total of 533 Rwandan nationals were repatriated from the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Monday, marking the first batch to return under a fresh agreement between Rwanda, Congo, and the UN refugee agency to ensure safe and voluntary returns, officials confirmed.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, the returnees, mostly women and children, were taken to a transit center in Rusizi district, western Rwanda, before being reintegrated into local communities.
Authorities noted that the group had been residing in a temporary camp in Goma, eastern DRC, a region currently under M23 rebel control.
Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe celebrated the convoy’s arrival, posting on X that “despite the noise made by some Western spoilers,” Rwandans “previously held hostages by the FDLR genocidal force in eastern DRC” are steadily returning home.
