Government officials from Rwanda and DR Congo, along with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have adopted a roadmap that could see 10,000 Rwandan refugees return home from Congolese territory this year.
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The target was agreed at the end of a high-level tripartite meeting on the voluntary repatriation of refugees held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Monday, June 22.
Rwanda was represented by the Minister in charge of Emergency Management Maj Gen (Rtd) Albert Murasira, while DR Congo was represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Jacquemain Shabani.
According to the joint communiqué released on Monday, the meeting adopted a 2026-2027 roadmap outlining operational milestones, responsibilities and timelines for implementing and monitoring refugee repatriation.
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The ministers said their discussions took into account political progress made in late 2025, including the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity signed by President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi on December 4.
The Washington Accords committed the two countries to work together to address security concerns, deepen cooperation and promote the safe return of displaced persons and refugees.
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Monday's meeting was aimed at advancing those commitments through concrete measures on refugee returns.
The three parties reaffirmed their commitment to the "voluntary, safe, dignified, and informed return of refugees as a cornerstone of durable solutions and as a contribution to peacebuilding and regional stability.”
Officials noted that DR Congo currently hosts 196,289 Rwandan refugees and asylum seekers, including 75,421 who have been biometrically registered, while Rwanda hosts 84,456 Congolese refugees and asylum seekers.
Since January 2025, a total of 8,394 Rwandan refugees have returned from DR Congo. Over 2,300 of them returned in 2026.
"The Parties encouraged the continuation of this positive dynamic, observing that there is a planning figure of 10,000 persons for voluntary repatriation in 2026,” the statement read in part.
The parties also agreed to hold quarterly cross-border meetings starting in September 2026 to strengthen coordination and support implementation of the repatriation programme.
They designated the Kamanyola border crossing in South Kivu and Bugarama in Rwanda as the route for the return of more than 3,600 Rwandan refugees living in South Kivu who have already expressed willingness to return.
The Congolese side committed to continue efforts to establish a viable transit route for return candidates from different locations in the area.
Rwanda also took note of the situation of more than 400 Rwandan refugees who have spent over a month in transit centres in North Kivu and South Kivu waiting to return home.
According to the communiqué, Kigali committed to continue receiving returnees while taking into consideration the prevailing public health situation and Ebola-related guidelines.
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The issue of Congolese refugees living in Rwanda also featured in the discussions.
Although no repatriation has taken place so far, the parties agreed that starting in October 2026, the Congolese government would identify priority areas of return based on intention surveys and information provided by Rwanda.