161 Rwandan refugees repatriated from DR Congo
The UNHCR supports returnees' reintegration, helping them to rebuild their lives and families.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (File photo)
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KIGALI - At least 161 Rwandan refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) returned home Tuesday in a process facilitated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an official announced.
The returnees were repatriated through the Rwanda-DRC border post in Rubavu District, where they were welcomed by local leaders.
Prosper Mulindwa, the district's mayor, told reporters that the returnees, the majority of whom are women and children, were transported to Kijote Transit Centre in Nyabihu District, where they will be sheltered pending resettlement procedures.
Mulindwa assured the returnees that arrangements to ensure a safe and dignified resettlement were in place.
He added that the returnees are to benefit from a comprehensive government reintegration program covering access to education for children, healthcare coverage and other services that foster social cohesion.
The UNHCR supports returnees' reintegration, helping them to rebuild their lives and families.
The repatriation falls under an agreement signed last year between Rwanda, DRC and the UNHCR committing the parties to respect refugees' right to voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin.