Kigali, Rwanda – More than 530 Rwandan nationals who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) arrived back in Rwanda on Monday, saying armed groups had threatened and assaulted anyone trying to leave.
The returnees, who crossed into Rwanda through the Grande Barrière border post in Rubavu District on August 25, told officials that members of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) had for years blocked their way home. The militia is made up of remnants of those who carried out the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Their repatriation comes two months after a high-level meeting in Addis Ababa between officials from Rwanda, the DRC and the UN Refugee Agency, where commitments were made to facilitate voluntary returns.
Among those who crossed was 52-year-old Egide Twagirumukiza, who left Rwanda nearly three decades ago. Married to a Congolese woman and father of three, he said he was repeatedly threatened by the FDLR whenever he attempted to return.
“They claimed civilians were their strength and attacked me when my sister came to take me home. They left me for dead,” said Twagirumukiza, who worked as a casual farmer in Masisi before fleeing with his family.
Seventy-nine-year-old Pierre Habarugira, from Rutsiro District, also shared his ordeal. He had worked in construction in Goma since fleeing in 1994 but said he could no longer endure the insecurity. “Life has been difficult, especially with the ongoing wars. I decided to come home and be with my family again after the recent fighting in town,” he said.
Rubavu District Mayor Prosper Mulindwa received the group, assuring them of safety and support. The returnees will be hosted at Nyarushishi Transit Center in Rusizi District, where they join over 4,000 others who have returned from the DRC since January this year.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, around 3.5 million Rwandans have been repatriated from the DRC over the past 30 years.
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