Congo and Burundi Begin Refugee Returns Despite Ongoing Eastern DRC Violence
Kinshasa, 24 April 2026
Over 43,000 Congolese refugees have already returned to South Kivu since borders reopened in March 2026, but new voluntary repatriation programmes raise serious safety concerns. Starting yesterday, Burundi and UNHCR launched formal return operations for refugees fleeing December 2025 violence, including M23’s capture of Uvira. With armed groups still controlling key areas like Goma and Bukavu, and ongoing conflicts between rival factions, returning families face uncertain security. Burundi currently hosts 200,000 Congolese refugees across camps, many expressing mixed emotions about returning to unstable homelands where elderly relatives remain vulnerable.
Formal Repatriation Operations Begin Despite Security Concerns
The Burundian government, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), officially launched voluntary and assisted repatriation operations for Congolese refugees on Thursday, 23 April 2026 [1]. The programme initially focuses on refugees at the Busuma site in Buhumuza province, prioritising households with school-aged children, vulnerable individuals, and civil servants [1]. These operations will cover areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo including Uvira, the Uvira–Mboko–Baraka–Fizi axis, and the Ruzizi Plain encompassing Uvira, Kiriba, and Runingu [1]. The Busuma site hosts civilians who fled violence in South Kivu during December 2025, with refugees settled between December 2025 and January 2026 [1].
Refugees Face Difficult Decisions Amid Ongoing Regional Instability
The repatriation programme unfolds against a backdrop of continued instability in eastern DRC, where armed groups maintain control over strategic locations. The Alliance of Congo Forces (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the DRC’s Independent National Electoral Commission, currently controls Goma, Bukavu, and the Rubaya mining site [1]. The security situation remains complex following the M23 rebels’ capture of Uvira in December 2025, though they withdrew a month later [1]. For many refugees, the decision to return carries profound emotional weight, as exemplified by Fazili, a Congolese refugee who stated: ‘I left Kiriba, leaving my elderly parents in Congo. Today, I am on the list of people who will return. It’s a relief, but also a great worry about the future’ [1].
Regional Diplomatic Tensions Complicate Return Conditions
The repatriation occurs amid broader regional tensions that have shaped the conflict landscape. Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23, whilst Rwanda accuses Burundi and the DRC of supporting the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) [1]. Burundi deployed over 29,000 soldiers in eastern DRC between August 2022 and December 2025, according to a Congolese Ministry of the Interior report [1]. The Washington Agreement, signed on 4 December 2025 between the DRC and Rwanda with US mediation, included Burundi as an observer, though regional stability remains fragile [1]. These diplomatic efforts represent attempts to address the underlying causes of displacement, yet the persistence of armed groups suggests that sustainable peace remains elusive.
Scale of Displacement Reflects Broader Humanitarian Challenge
Burundi currently hosts approximately 200,000 Congolese refugees across five official camps and two regroupment sites, with some refugees residing in urban areas including Bujumbura and Rumonge [1]. The scale of previous returns indicates both the urgency of the situation and the complexity of ensuring safe reintegration. More than 43,000 refugees have returned to South Kivu since the Burundi-Congo border reopened in March 2026 [1]. The UNHCR and Burundian authorities have committed to supporting refugees whilst ensuring dignified, voluntary, and safe returns [1]. However, the voluntary nature of the programme places the burden of assessing safety conditions on individual families, many of whom must weigh immediate humanitarian needs against uncertain security prospects in their areas of origin.