Repatriation of Congolese refugees does not require endless meetings

Officials from Rwanda and their counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), on Monday, May 15 met in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss the long overdue implementation of a 2010 agreement on voluntary repatriation of refugees in either country. The tripartite agreement also had the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, as a signatory to facilitate the return of these refugees to their respective countries. However, nothing has been done on the part of DR Congo to repatriate their citizens who have lived in Rwanda for close to three decades. At different meetings similar to one that just concluded, commitments were made to do something for the over 80,000 Congolese refugees in Rwanda – predominantly from eastern DR Congo – to return home, but all these have remained in communiques with no results. ALSO READ: Congolese refugees petition embassies over DR Congo insecurity In fact, since last year, we began to see yet an influx of more Congolese fleeing into Rwanda following increasing state-sponsored persecution that those who remained in their country continue to face, especially after the renewed fighting between government forces and their allies and the M23 rebel group. Unfortunately, these are the same reasons that their counterparts left the comfort of their homes some decades back and have always yearned for the persecution to end for them to return to their country. On the other hand, Rwanda has been welcoming to all refugees returning home including those that have been part of militia groups from the jungles of DR Congo who are first rehabilitated before being reintegrated in communities. All this is on public record. Interestingly, some of these Rwandans are part of the group being used by Congolese government functionaries and their proxies to persecute Congolese nationals – especially those speaking Kinyarwanda – the same community where those who sought refuge in Rwanda comes from. ALSO READ: ‘We want justice’: Stories of DR Congo’s ‘tired' refugees It is therefore in everyone’s interest that refugees in either country return home but conditions that led to their fleeing have to improve, which is not happening on the part of DR Congo. It is imperative that some difficult questions are asked to the Congolese on why they are not implementing what they commit to do in the tripartite meetings which have been taking place for 13 years now. The simple act of disarming the genocidal FDLR militia – which is currently fighting alongside government forces –and repatriating them to Rwanda would create an enabling environment for the Congolese refugees to return home.

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Repatriation of Congolese refugees does not require endless meetings