KIGALI, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- A group of 302 Rwandan refugees voluntarily returned home from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday, authorities said.
Some 285 returnees crossed into Rwanda through the two countries' common border in Rubavu District, while another 17 entered through the border in Rusizi District, according to the district's Mayor Prosper Mulindwa.
The returnees were transported to the Kijote Transit Center in western Rwanda's Nyabihu District pending their reintegration into local communities, Mulindwa told reporters.
Rusizi District Vice Mayor Alfred Habimana, who welcomed the group, said they comprised nine women, three men and five children.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is supporting the returnees' repatriation and reintegration, helping them rebuild their lives and reunite with their families.
The repatriation was carried out under an agreement signed last year by Rwanda, the DRC and the UNHCR, under which the parties committed to respecting refugees' right to voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin.
Since January 2026, Rwanda has received more than 3,000 returnees from the DRC, according to the latest data from Rwanda's Ministry in charge of Emergency Management. ■
