Nearly 20,000 Congolese refugees have expressed their wish to voluntarily return from Burundi to the Democratic Republic of Congo. This return is organized under the coordination of UNHCR, in collaboration with the authorities of both countries. It takes place in a context of strong humanitarian pressure, marked by significant population displacements fleeing fighting in eastern DRC between the M23 rebellion and the FARDC. The program has already begun with the departure of a first convoy of 462 people.

The return process for Congolese refugees settled in Burundi, mainly at the Busuma site, is experiencing significant acceleration. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 20,000 refugees have already registered for voluntary repatriation to the Democratic Republic of Congo. These registrations do not result from a spontaneous movement, but from a gradual process.

Faced with the scale of registrations, UNHCR is ensuring that returns remain voluntary. Individual interviews are conducted with each candidate to ensure that no pressure influences their decision. "The return must remain a free, informed and dignified choice," emphasizes Brigitte Mukanga Eno, recalling that refugees are informed of ground realities before their departure.

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The motivations for return are varied, notably the desire to recover a familiar living environment, difficulties related to prolonged exile, or limited prospects in host sites. "The climate, first of all, has complicated things for us here. There are diseases, there are many deaths," Luc Birikoko, a Congolese refugee from the Busuma site, originally from Luvungi, in South Kivu, told TV5Monde.

For Promesse Bahati, the desire to find her parents is very strong. "I see neither my mother nor my father. I do not speak to them, I do not have their phone number. I suffer greatly," she says.

462 Congolese refugees open repatriation phase from Busuma

The first convoy of 462 people was repatriated on Thursday, April 23, 2026, marking the effective launch of the operation. Departing from the Busuma site, in Buhumuza province, this group was transported to the Kavimvira transit center in DRC, before being directed to their zones of origin.

For humanitarian actors, these first returnees constitute a pilot group, whose monitoring will make it possible to assess the real conditions of return and adjust the system if necessary.

The transition from thousands of registrations to concrete departures represents a major logistical challenge. The organization of convoys, the preparation of financial assistance and coordination with Congolese authorities require rigorous planning. In this framework, convoys of approximately 1,000 people are scheduled for the week of the 27th.

UNHCR plans close monitoring of the first returnees in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the system and make any necessary adjustments. In a still unstable regional context, this return dynamic remains fragile, but it constitutes an important indicator of the evolution of the situation of Congolese refugees.

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Assistance system for return and reintegration of repatriated households

Before departure, return candidates receive a travel preparation allowance equivalent to 30 USD per person, paid in Burundian francs approximately three days before departure at the transit center. This aid is intended to cover immediate expenses related to preparation for the move.

Upon return to the Democratic Republic of Congo, repatriated households benefit from humanitarian assistance including in particular food aid for two months, provided in kind or in monetary equivalent according to needs. Support for temporary accommodation can also be provided upon arrival, notably through transit centers offering food and drinking water to ensure minimum conditions of dignity.

In addition, several reintegration supports are planned: a multipurpose subsidy (150 USD per adult and 75 USD per child) for essential needs and economic activities, housing assistance of 100 USD per person, educational support of 81 USD per child for schooling, as well as a hygiene kit of 46 USD intended for women aged 12 to 49 to meet hygiene and dignity needs.

Burundi currently hosts more than 190,000 refugees, mostly Congolese, which exerts constant pressure on reception capacities and humanitarian resources. In this context, voluntary return appears to some as an option, sometimes by choice, sometimes by constraint.

However, the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo remains unstable, particularly in South Kivu and North Kivu provinces. This reality raises questions about the sustainability of the returns being undertaken.

Prosper Aobe