Rwanda has pledged to support 406 citizens who returned from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday, with women and children making up a large part of the group and some adults saying they had lived there for more than 30 years.
The returnees, who arrived in 125 families, crossed into Rwanda through the La Corniche border crossing in Rubavu district.
They were received by Rubavu district officials and representatives of the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, before being taken to the temporary Nyarushishi center in Rusizi district.
At Nyarushishi, the returnees will receive assistance to obtain necessary documents and other support to help them rebuild their lives and settle back into Rwanda.
Some of the returnees said they had grown tired of insecurity involving armed groups operating in eastern Congo. They said the groups subjected them to severe abuse while authorities failed to take action.
Rubavu district Mayor Mulindwa Prosper said the government remains concerned about Rwandans still living in the forests of Congo, particularly those held by armed groups.
Mulindwa told the returnees that they would not have to rebuild their lives without government support. He said they would receive assistance with documentation and other services to help them settle.
“You have entered your promised country,” Mulindwa said, urging the returnees to help persuade other Rwandans still in Congo to return so their children can attend school.
He thanked the group for understanding the situation and finding a way to leave what he described as conditions that had prevented them from returning.
Mulindwa said the returnees would continue to receive support under Rwanda’s social welfare policies and would be linked to government development programs aimed at helping them improve their livelihoods and overcome poverty, including Girinka.
The latest arrivals follow the return of 302 other Rwandans from Congo on Aug. 5. Of those, 285 crossed through La Corniche, while 17 entered through the Rusizi I border crossing linking Rusizi district with the city of Bukavu.
Wednesday’s arrival marks another step in the return and resettlement of Rwandans who have spent years in eastern Congo, including some who had lived there for more than three decades.
