Ezira Maniraguha is one of hundreds of Rwandans finally finding relief after spending decades in eastern DR Congo worrying that they will be killed any time. The 48-year-old was among the 314 Rwandans who crossed the Grande Barriere border post in Rubavu District on Wednesday, September 24 as part of a voluntary repatriation programme between Rwanda and DR Congo, supported by the UN Refugee Agency. ALSO READ: Rwanda receives over 100 families returning from DR Congo For Maniraguha, a father of fide, his escape came at a high price. He recounted how the Congolese army (FARDC) took from him everything, leaving him with a broken left leg. “They imprisoned me, accusing me of being a spy working with M23, Maniraguha explained. “It was a lie; I was just working as a fisherman and farmer.” “By the time I was set to be transferred to Makala Prison in Kinshasa, the head of fishermen bribed the soldiers with $5,000 I raised by selling my plot of land and they released me.” He added that one of his relatives died in prison. Like many others, Maniraguha’s long stay in the neighboring country was prolonged by an ongoing campaign of misinformation by FDLR militia, which was founded by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. “We were told that if we return home, we would be imprisoned or killed, even if we had not committed any genocide crimes,” he narrated. “They spread these rumors in various neighborhoods, and people get scared.” The same propaganda kept Francoise Mukantwari, 39, whose late husband, a member of the FDLR passed away during fighting, from returning home. “A lot of people are told that those who try to return are put in jail,” she said, blaming FDLR top leaders behind this propaganda. “They don’t want anyone to go back home. If they catch you trying to leave, they kill you.” Maniraguha is now filled with joy and relief after leaving people who were about to take away his life. “I am overjoyed now, having escaped the lions that wanted to eat me,” he added. I'm also happy because I will finally get a national ID. I was living in DR Congo as an undocumented person.” Prosper Mulindwa, the Mayor of Rubavu District, assured the returnees of their safety and support including food for three months and health insurance as part of the reintegration process. ALSO READ: UNHCR boss urges peace in DR Congo to enable safe return of refugees “There is no reason why Rwandans should be called refugees in a safe country like this,” Mulindwa told the group before they headed to Nyarushishi Transit Centre. “Feel at home, you are no longer in the jungles. It’s time to enjoy the beauty of your country.” According to the Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA), over 4,000 Rwandans have returned from the DR Congo since January 2025, bringing the total number of people repatriated since 1994 to about 3.5 million.
