The repatriation follows agreements reached during a tripartite meeting between Rwanda, the DRC, and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 24, 2025.

According to the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), the group entered Rwanda through the La Corniche border post in Rubavu District on Thursday morning before being transferred to the Nyarushishi Transit Centre in Rusizi District for temporary accommodation and screening.

The returnees — mostly women, children, and the elderly — will later be assisted to reintegrate into their communities of origin. Each adult will receive a reintegration package worth $188 (approx. Rwf 273,000), while minors will receive $113 (approx. Rwf 164,000), along with food supplies valued at Rwf 45,000 per person.

Since 2021, more than 11,000 Rwandans have voluntarily returned home from eastern DRC, where many had been stranded for decades.

UNHCR reports that as of August 2025, around 630 Rwandans were still hosted at the Goma transit camp in North Kivu Province awaiting repatriation.

Rwanda continues to work with international partners to facilitate the safe return and reintegration of its citizens, reaffirming its commitment to voluntary repatriation and lasting peace in the Great Lakes Region.