A total of 657 Congolese refugees have crossed back into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through the main border post of Grande Barrière, which connects Rwanda and the DRC. They had fled days earlier due to fighting between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese army (FARDC), which was backed by FDLR, Wazalendo, Burundian forces, and mercenaries.
All these individuals returned to their homes on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, after more than 10 hours had passed without any heavy gunfire being heard in the city of Goma.
According to BWIZA sources, these returnees decided to cross back after communicating with their families and feeling that calm had been restored.
A total of 1,167 Congolese civilians had sought refuge in Rwanda, most of them arriving when the fighting in Goma was at its peak. The M23 rebels had even managed to take control of the city.
The return of these civilians coincided with the evacuation of European mercenaries who had come to assist the FARDC in battle. When the situation worsened, these mercenaries fled to MONUSCO and were later transported to Rwanda to be repatriated to their home countries.
Both the mercenaries and civilians were crossing paths at the border, where M23 forces, having taken control of Goma, were overseeing entry into the DRC.
Rwanda’s ambassador to the Great Lakes region, Vincent Karega, stated in an interview with the media that Rwanda had received refugees, including FARDC and Wazalendo soldiers who had fled the conflict. He affirmed that all those who had fled—whether civilians or soldiers—were free to return to their home country.
