A whole lot of Rwandan refugees who had been dwelling in japanese Congo for the reason that 1994 Rwanda genocide are repatriated by bus from Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Saturday, Could 17, 2025.
Moses Sawasawa/AP
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Moses Sawasawa/AP
GOMA, Congo — A whole lot of Rwandan refugees who had been dwelling in japanese Congo for the reason that 1994 genocide in Rwanda had been repatriated on Saturday, the U.N. refugee company stated, after Rwandan-backed rebels seized key elements of the area.
A lot of the refugees had been girls and kids, and 360 of them crossed the border in buses offered by Rwandan authorities and had been escorted by the U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Refugees, and support group Save the Youngsters, native authorities stated. The aim is to repatriate 2,000 individuals, UNHCR stated.
“We’re comfortable to welcome our compatriots. They’re a priceless workforce for the nation’s improvement,” stated Prosper Mulindwa, the Rwandan mayor of Rubavu, throughout a short ceremony on the border.
The returnees had been transported to a transit middle the place they may obtain emergency help and assist for reintegration.
They had been among the many tons of of hundreds of Hutus who fled Rwanda after the state-sponsored 1994 genocide that left as much as one million minority Tutsis and average Hutus lifeless. Most had returned when Tutsi-led Rwandan troops first invaded Congo in 1996. However Rwandan authorities stated hundreds of Hutu militiamen and ex-soldiers had stayed and joined Congo’s military to destabilize Rwanda.
For many years, mineral-rich japanese Congo has been ripped aside by violence from authorities forces and completely different armed teams, together with the Rwanda-backed M23, whose latest resurgence has escalated the battle and worsened an already acute humanitarian disaster.
The rebels are supported by about 4,000 troops from neighboring Rwanda, in response to U.N. consultants.
Among the many Rwandan returnees, private testimonies highlighted journeys marked by exile and a deep connection to a homeland some have by no means identified.
Nyirakajumba Twizere was born in 1996 in Congo and had by no means seen Rwanda.
“I by no means thought this present day would come,” he stated. “I am lastly going again to the land of my ancestors.”
The repatriation is predicated on a tripartite settlement between Rwanda, Congo and UNHCR that has been in place for greater than a decade. In accordance with Rwandan authorities, greater than 101,000 refugees have already been repatriated, together with 1,500 for the reason that starting of 2025.
