Rwanda Welcomes Returning Refugees After Decades in Exile

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Rwanda Welcomes Returning Refugees After Decades in Exile \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Hundreds of Rwandan refugees in eastern Congo were repatriated Saturday amid growing insecurity. The UN and Rwandan authorities coordinated the return, part of an ongoing effort to resettle 2,000 refugees. Most returnees fled Rwanda after the 1994 genocide and had spent decades in exile.

Quick Looks

360 Refugees Returned: Most were women and children, repatriated from Congo to Rwanda via UN and Rwandan support.
Larger Plan in Motion: UNHCR aims to repatriate 2,000 individuals in this phase.
Transit and Reintegration Support: Returnees will receive emergency aid and help reintegrating at a transit center.
Historical Context: Refugees had fled Rwanda during the 1994 genocide and years of regional conflict.
Rebel Activity Rising: M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, have destabilized eastern Congo in recent months.
Military Tensions Escalate: U.N. experts say 4,000 Rwandan troops are supporting the rebels.
Emotional Homecomings: Some returnees, born in Congo, had never seen Rwanda before.
Tripartite Agreement: The return is part of a long-standing agreement between Congo, Rwanda, and UNHCR.

Deep Look

In a significant development amid rising tensions in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, hundreds of Rwandan refugees who had been living in exile since the 1994 Rwandan genocide were repatriated to their homeland on Saturday. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in coordination with Rwandan authorities and Save the Children, oversaw the operation as 360 refugees, mostly women and children, were transported across the border into Rwanda.

The repatriation comes at a time of heightened military activity in Congo’s eastern provinces, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have seized control of key territories, deepening the region’s humanitarian crisis and insecurity. This instability accelerated efforts to return refugees who had been displaced by decades of conflict.

“We are happy to welcome our compatriots. They are a valuable workforce for the country’s development,” said Prosper Mulindwa, mayor of Rubavu, during a brief welcoming ceremony on the Rwandan side of the border.

The returnees were taken to a transit center where they will receive emergency assistance, including shelter, food, and counseling, before beginning their reintegration into Rwandan society. The move is part of a broader plan by the UNHCR to repatriate 2,000 Rwandan refugees from eastern Congo in the coming weeks.

Refugees of a Forgotten War

The individuals repatriated on Saturday are part of the generation displaced during and after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when up to a million people, primarily Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were slaughtered in a state-sponsored campaign of violence. In the wake of that atrocity, hundreds of thousands of Hutus, fearing retribution or prosecution, fled into neighboring countries, particularly into the dense jungles and refugee camps of eastern Congo.

While many returned during the first Congo war in 1996, others remained. According to Rwandan authorities, a significant number of Hutu militias and ex-soldiers embedded themselves in local armed groups or joined Congo’s national forces, maintaining a persistent threat to Rwanda’s borders.

Now, as the M23 insurgency—widely reported to be supported by Rwanda—resurges, the security situation has prompted renewed urgency around repatriation. The United Nations estimates that more than 4,000 Rwandan troops are operating in support of the rebels, a claim denied by Kigali but supported by independent UN investigations.

Emotional Returns After a Lifetime in Exile

The repatriation process was not only logistical but deeply emotional. Many of those returning to Rwanda were either children at the time of their displacement or were born in exile and had never seen their ancestral homeland.

One such person, Nyirakajumba Twizere, was born in Congo in 1996, two years after the genocide and the subsequent exodus.

“I never thought this day would come,” Twizere said. “I’m finally going back to the land of my ancestors.”

Stories like Twizere’s underscore the complexity of identity and the generational impact of displacement. Many returnees are reuniting with relatives they have never met or left as infants. Reintegration support includes psychological counseling and community reintegration programs aimed at helping returnees establish a sense of belonging in a society that has evolved significantly since their departure.

A Decade-Old Framework

The repatriation is taking place under a tripartite agreement signed more than a decade ago between the governments of Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, and UNHCR. The agreement aims to create a safe, voluntary, and dignified return process for Rwandan refugees.

So far, according to Rwandan authorities, over 101,000 Rwandan refugees have been repatriated through the program. That figure includes 1,500 people returned since the start of 2025.

Despite the agreement, challenges remain. Many refugees still harbor fears of political persecution, especially those linked to former Hutu militias, and humanitarian organizations have urged for careful monitoring to ensure that returns are truly voluntary and fully supported.

Continued Instability in Eastern Congo

Eastern Congo, rich in minerals but plagued by lawlessness, has become a battleground for a complex web of armed groups, foreign militias, and state-backed forces. The resurgence of M23, a rebel group once dormant, has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians, widespread destruction, and a deepening humanitarian crisis.

As the region continues to reel from violence and the international community calls for de-escalation, Saturday’s repatriation signals a glimmer of hope—a moment of return and reconciliation in the shadow of war.

Yet, for thousands more refugees still scattered across Congo and beyond, the path home remains uncertain.