- Société
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are pushing forward with the voluntary repatriation of Rwandan refugees. Meeting on Monday, June 22, 2026, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the three partners welcomed progress made since 2025 and agreed on new measures to accelerate returns in the coming months.
According to the joint communiqué issued after the high-level tripartite ministerial meeting, 8,394 Rwandan refugees living in the DRC have already been repatriated to their home country since January 2025. Of these, 2,347 returned to Rwanda during the first half of 2026.
“The Parties acknowledged the progress achieved under voluntary repatriation from the DRC to Rwanda, noting that 8,394 persons have been repatriated safely and with dignity since January 2025, including 2,347 in 2026,” the document states.
Building on these results, the parties set a more ambitious goal for the current year.
“The Parties encouraged the continuation of this positive momentum, noting a target of 10,000 voluntary repatriations is foreseen for 2026,” the communiqué adds.
Discussions also covered the return of Congolese refugees residing in Rwanda. Participants recognized that this aspect of the process has yet to be implemented. To address this, several preparatory steps were agreed upon.
“The Parties agreed that, starting October 2026, the DRC will identify priority return zones based on intention surveys and location information provided by Rwanda.”
To strengthen follow-up on these commitments, Kinshasa, Kigali, and UNHCR decided to institutionalize regular meetings.
“The Parties agreed to organize formal quarterly cross-border meetings, either in person or via videoconference, with the first to be held in September 2026, to enhance coordination and support the implementation of voluntary repatriation,” the communiqué specifies.
“The Parties agreed to use the Kamanyola (South Kivu, DRC) – Bugarama (Rwanda) border crossing point to facilitate the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of more than 3,600 Rwandan refugees currently scattered across a wide geographical area in southern South Kivu province,” the document says.
The DRC also committed to establishing transit routes allowing returnees to reach this crossing point from various locations in South Kivu.
“Rwanda committed to continuing voluntary repatriation of Rwandan refugees from the DRC, taking into account the current regional health context and public health directives concerning Ebola virus disease.”
The three parties reaffirmed their confidence in UNHCR’s role in finding durable solutions for forced displacement. Finally, the DRC, Rwanda, and UNHCR agreed to continue this consultation framework by organizing another tripartite ministerial meeting in June 2027, the date and venue of which will be communicated later through diplomatic channels.
“The Parties recognized UNHCR’s role as a neutral, impartial, and humanitarian actor mandated by the international community to ensure international protection and seek durable solutions for refugees,” the text emphasizes.
This meeting was held in accordance with the tripartite agreements on voluntary repatriation of Congolese refugees in Rwanda and Rwandan refugees in the DRC, signed on February 17, 2010. It also follows the principles enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention, its 1967 Protocol, and the 1969 OAU Convention governing specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa.
The refugee issue has long been a major point of contention between Kinshasa and Kigali, as well as between the Congolese government and the AFC/M23 rebellion. This is why the issue has been included in the Washington Peace Agreement signed between the DRC and Rwanda under U.S. auspices. It also lies at the heart of the Doha process, launched after the signing of a declaration of principles between Kinshasa and the Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebellion under Qatari mediation.
In both diplomatic initiatives – led by the United States and Qatar respectively – the refugee problem occupies a central place. However, implementation has notably lagged. While these peace processes raised high hopes among populations in eastern DRC, concrete results on the ground have been slow to materialize, nearly a year after their launch.
