Call for global mobilization to end forced repatriation of Rwandan Refugees mainly Hutus back to Rwanda as political deal between UNHCR, DRC and Rwanda.

We are opposed to the current politicization and commercialization of Rwandan Refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to conclude political deals with Rwanda: UNHCR supports and implements this business deal between DRC and Rwanda and fails on her mandate to ensure the protection of Refugees. But if UNHCR has fail for political and financial reasons to protect refugees, the host communities, refugees, human rights defenders, and people of good will in the world should not fail, we can challenge this and promote the protection of Rwandan refugees in DRC.  

On Tuesday November 12^th, 2024 at around 11am, we saw a big line of UNHCR Vehicles, Lorries and DRC Military Cars alongside with various Humanitarian NGOs vehicles moving towards the border of DRC and Rwanda in Goma with hundreds of Rwandan Refugees to be sent to Rwanda. Generally these refugees are put in CCLK Transit Center in Goma, which is now considered as the DRC Market for refugees. How long can we observe and tolerate this human being market place? Is it moral to keep seeing this market where the whole trade of human beings is done? One thing strange is that this very CCLK Transit Center belongs to a person who is believed to be close to Rwanda and one among Rwandophones in DRC. 

This project of sending Rwandan refugees to Rwanda by force is one among UNHCR Projects highly funded in DRC and consumes a lot of money from donors generally from the United States of America and the European Union. For the last one year this exercise had been put on hold because of the tensions between DRC and Rwanda. 

Of the recent three major things have occurred which may justify this new move of forced repatriation of Rwandan refugees.

One is that currently DRC and Rwanda are holding negotiations in order to end the war in Eastern DRC which is backed by Rwanda. One among the main demand of Rwanda is the Neutralization of FDLR (Rwandan Armed Group in DRC), and for Rwanda any Rwandan Hutu person living in DRC and not willing to go back to Rwanda including Rwandan Hutu Refugees are all members of FDLR and should be taken to Rwanda by force. So in the negotiations Rwanda was granted this deal by DRC which is now being implemented by UNHCR in order to make it look as humanitarian. Two actors are leading the refugee operations and they include UNHCR and the Congolese National Refugees Commission known as CNR who are working alongside Rwandan spies who are once again perceived among refugee population in North Kivu as have indicated to us some refugees. In order to convince refugees, various activities are put in place among them creating insecurity in IDP Camps, putting people in a situation of destitution, then deploying people including spies to talk to Rwandan refugees one by one and offer them the repatriation option. “The key determinant offer in this process is the promise of 500$ USA per person (each refugee) once in Rwanda and promises of death to those who refuse to go”. In this way, recently military operations by DRC Army which also involved Rwandan security services targeted some IDPs Camps around Goma which host Rwandan refugees in order to create fear among refugees, many were killed and others lost a lot of things. 

The second event is the visit of the DRC Minister of Interior to Geneva for a meeting with UNHCR Boss recently, where discussions according to media focused on the situation of refugees. UNHCR has a lot of financial interest in forced repatriation deal because it mobilizes money quickly, and each DRC Minister is often involved in this business deal, as long as it is covered by UNHCR in order to give it a humanitarian character and look as normal as possible. Some of these financial deals could not be discussed in Kinshasa especially that the current Minister had to be introduced into this booming business. 

The third event is the global change with Donald Trump’s Elections in the USA, generally funding for IDPs and other crises where UNHCR received a lot of money is likely to reduce, and in few years the situation of IDPs is likely not to be lucrative anymore. UNHCR is now coming back to its traditional funding opportunities focusing on deportation and forced repatriation of refugees, we are likely to have also in place the assassination of some refugee opinion leaders and others likely to go missing if serious actions are not taken, especially that this had happened before. 

UNHCR in DRC takes the lead on refugee issues and the government has clearly indicated that refugees are not its priority to work on directly, the government has opted to get involved indirectly through UNHCR. 

But who are those in UNHCR/UNHCR who decide on this business deal?

When you look at each single person working in UNHCR in DRC in general and in the Kivu in particular, and among the officers of CNR in DRC you will find three categories of officers and staffs. The first one category is composed of Rwandan officers deployed in both UNHCR and CNR in DRC and who claim to be Congolese, the second category is composed of Congolese Rwandophone who are very close to Rwanda and who were placed by Rwanda in the past, the third category is composed of Congolese and International Staffs who have also to comprise in order to maintain their jobs and their security. Generally the UNHCR International Staffs are from countries which are close to Rwanda and which have good relationship with Rwanda, and who when you engage with them they clearly defend Rwandan external policy against these Hutu refugees. 

Please join us to advocate to both DRC and Rwanda Government to respect their international obligations towards the protection of refugees in DRC especially Rwandan Hutu Refugees,

We also call upon you to put pressure on UNHCR to distance from these forced repatriations of Rwandan Hutu Refugees.

We remain available to share with you the necessary information in case you may need it.

Contact us on:

WhatsApp: +243853191163

Email: refugeeleadersforum@gmail.com

Website: https://www.globalrefugeeleaders.org/— 

Global Refugee Leaders Forum is a Project of the Collective of Youth Organizations for Solidarity in the Democratic Republic of Congo known as  COJESKI /DRC, COORDINATION OF NORTH KIVU. We are focusing on the Rights of Refugees and IDPs in DRC
Head office:  No 172 Nzangi Muhindo Road, Kituku 1 Avenue, Kyeshero – Goma / DRC, just at about 200 m from La Sapientia University, on CCLK Road, Kyeshero, Goma/ Nord-Kivu, DRCongo. It is in the 4th building after Caracholine main entrance, before New Hope Center.  Tel: +243973704159, Whatsup: +243853191163 . E-mail:  refugeeleadersforum@gmail.com
Website: www.globalrefugeeleaders.org/ www.cojeskinordkivu.org