Six hundred Rwandan refugees, including wives and children of former FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) members, will be repatriated from a transit center in Goma following a breakthrough agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda reached during high-level talks with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Thursday.
According to reliable sources, the refugees are currently housed in transit centers in Goma, with additional refugees remaining stranded in Bukavu, though details about their situation are still being assessed.
The tripartite agreement, signed in Addis Ababa on July 24, 2025, represents a significant step forward in resolving long-standing refugee issues between the two neighbors.
The parties emphasized “the voluntary, safe, dignified, and informed return of refugees as a cornerstone of durable solutions” and described the initiative as “a contribution to peacebuilding and regional stability.”
The breakthrough comes amid a series of recent diplomatic successes, including the Washington Peace Agreement of June 27, 2025, and the Doha Declaration of Principles signed just days earlier on July 19, 2025.
The joint communiqué stated that “the sustainable returns of refugees are a vital pillar of peace and stability and are essential to advancing post-conflict recovery and reconstruction in the Great Lakes region.”
The July 24 meeting built upon the original Tripartite Agreements on Voluntary Repatriation signed on February 17, 2010, and established a comprehensive framework for ongoing refugee returns between the two nations.
The parties emphasized that internally displaced persons should also be considered in reintegration planning.
Under the new agreement, the governments committed to “reintegration planning that is inclusive and area-based, ensuring access to housing, education, livelihoods, health care, civil documentation, and inclusion in local and national development frameworks.”
They also agreed to “reaffirm the necessity of proper identity and nationality verification for refugees wishing to voluntarily return, so as to prevent the risk of statelessness.”
To build confidence in the repatriation process, the parties pledged to “enhance outreach and communication with refugees and local communities in areas of return, including through digital tools, to build trust and transparency.”
They also committed to “strengthen cross-border coordination through virtual or in person meetings, data sharing and joint planning of voluntary repatriation activities.”
The parties engaged with international partners to “ensure sustained financial support for voluntary return and reintegration, as well as for post-conflict recovery and reconstruction” in support of recent peace agreements.
A 2025-2026 Tripartite Technical Working Group Road Map was adopted, outlining operational milestones and implementation timelines.
Regular monitoring will continue under the Tripartite Mechanism framework, with the parties affirming “their readiness to reconvene, in principle in six months’ time, at the ministerial level to assess progress and provide strategic guidance as necessary.”
The agreement takes place within the broader context of ongoing peace efforts in the Great Lakes region, with parties acknowledging recent diplomatic developments including the Declaration of Principles between the DRC and the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement signed on July 19, 2025.
The parties “expressed appreciation for the continued role of the African Union and the United Nations in promoting peace, security, and dialogue across the region” and acknowledged “the role of UNHCR as a neutral, impartial, and humanitarian actor, mandated by the international community to provide international protection and seek durable solutions for refugees.”
The governments also “expressed appreciation to the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for hosting the Meeting” and gratitude to participants of the preparatory Tripartite Technical Working Group held in Addis Ababa from July 22-23, 2025.
