Hundreds of Rwandans Return Home After Three Decades in FDLR Captivity

By The Inspirer.

Rubavu, Rwanda – Nearly 800 Rwandans crossed back into the country through the Grande Barrière border in Rubavu after spending more than 30 years held hostage by the FDLR armed group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The group of 796 returnees, mostly women and children, follows another 360 who crossed on Saturday, bringing the total to more than 1,100 in just a week.

Upon arrival, the returnees were received by officials and transferred to transit centers in Rusizi and Nyabihu districts, where they are undergoing health checks, registration, and receiving basic supplies. Those aged 16 and above are also being issued national ID cards.

Camp officials said the process is temporary and most returnees will soon be resettled in their home districts.

Some of the returnees told the BBC they had long wished to return but were discouraged by the FDLR’s propaganda claiming Rwanda was unsafe.

“We always wanted to come back, but the FDLR kept telling us there was no peace in Rwanda,” said Nyiramahoro Zawadi, who fled as a young girl and spent 31 years in Congo. “After M23 drove them out, my husband and I decided to return because we learned that Rwanda is peaceful.”

Others, like 61-year-old farmer Andereya Uwizeyimana, said they fled in 1994 and are now eager to rebuild their lives back home. “I am from Rutsiro, and that’s where I plan to go after leaving this camp,” he said.

More than 2,000 Rwandans are still at a UNHCR center in Goma awaiting repatriation, according to the returnees.

While most insist they returned voluntarily, some acknowledged they were encouraged to leave by M23, which recently took control of parts of North Kivu.