UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi concluded a week-long visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, calling for increased international support to ensure refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) can return home safely and rebuild their lives. Grandi emphasized that safe and dignified voluntary return remains the most durable solution for many refugees, noting that recent peace efforts, including the Washington agreement and the Doha peace process, must translate into concrete actions that deliver lasting security, stability, and investment in communities.
A sign of progress emerged during the visit when 533 Rwandan refugees, mostly women and children, voluntarily returned from eastern DRC to Rwanda on 25 August 2025. This repatriation, occurring within a month of commitments made at the DRC-Rwanda-UNHCR Tripartite meeting in Addis Ababa, represents a confidence-building step in the broader regional peace process.
In Kinshasa, Grandi met with President Félix Tshisekedi to discuss UNHCR’s support for safe and dignified returns of refugees and IDPs, highlighting the importance of maintaining momentum in peace efforts. In Sake, near Goma, he met displaced individuals to hear firsthand about the challenges of repeated displacement and the urgent need for stability, while also engaging with humanitarian partners and local authorities. Grandi stressed that decades of conflict in the DRC have caused repeated displacement and called on the international community to demonstrate stronger solidarity to end the cycle of violence and support community rebuilding.
During his visit to Rwanda, Grandi praised the country’s progressive approach to including refugees in society. In discussions with President Paul Kagame, he highlighted Rwanda’s long-standing commitment to refugee protection and inclusion, emphasizing that providing displaced people with opportunities to learn, work, and thrive sets a powerful example for the region and deserves strong international support.
Looking ahead, Grandi reaffirmed UNHCR’s readiness to support regional peace efforts and voluntary repatriation under the tripartite framework, emphasizing that collective action is essential to ensure sustainable solutions for refugees and IDPs in both the DRC and Rwanda.
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