A whole bunch of Rwandan refugees who have been dwelling in jap Congo because the 1994 Rwanda genocide are repatriated by bus from Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Saturday, Might 17, 2025.
Moses Sawasawa/AP
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Moses Sawasawa/AP
GOMA, Congo — A whole bunch of Rwandan refugees who have been dwelling in jap Congo because the 1994 genocide in Rwanda have been repatriated on Saturday, the U.N. refugee company stated, after Rwandan-backed rebels seized key elements of the area.
Many of the refugees have been ladies and youngsters, and 360 of them crossed the border in buses offered by Rwandan authorities and have been escorted by the U.N. Excessive Commissioner for Refugees, and assist group Save the Youngsters, native authorities stated. The purpose is to repatriate 2,000 folks, UNHCR stated.
“We are happy to welcome our compatriots. They are a valuable workforce for the country’s development,” stated Prosper Mulindwa, the Rwandan mayor of Rubavu, throughout a quick ceremony on the border.
The returnees have been transported to a transit heart the place they are going to obtain emergency help and help for reintegration.
They have been among the many a whole bunch of 1000’s of Hutus who fled Rwanda after the state-sponsored 1994 genocide that left as much as 1,000,000 minority Tutsis and average Hutus lifeless. Most had returned when Tutsi-led Rwandan troops first invaded Congo in 1996. However Rwandan authorities stated 1000’s of Hutu militiamen and ex-soldiers had stayed and joined Congo’s military to destabilize Rwanda.
For many years, mineral-rich jap 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 accordance with 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 never thought this day would come,” he stated. “I’m finally going back 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 keeping with Rwandan authorities, greater than 101,000 refugees have already been repatriated, together with 1,500 because the starting of 2025.
