Yesterday the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi met with leaders of the AFC/M23.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and facilitate the voluntary return of refugees. This means Rwandans stranded in DR Congo who wish to go home and, from the Rwandan side, Congolese currently in Rwanda longing to return to their country.
For refugees this agreement is more than words; it is tangible hope. For decades, Rwanda has shouldered the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of Congolese, displaced by Congo’s cycles of violence and failed governance. Now, with this new collaboration, long-awaited pathways to return are opening.
The AFC/M23 has consistently worked to dismantle the cynical tactics of the FDLR, a genocidal militia that hides behind refugee populations to shield its crimes. By disrupting that strategy, M23 creates conditions where genuine refugee protection and safe return can finally be possible.
This is peace in motion, but not because of Kinshasa regime.
Since Tshisekedi took power, the Congolese regime has shown neither the political will nor the security framework needed for repatriation. Its legacy has been empty speeches, hate-filled propaganda, and militarized chaos.
Meanwhile, in Goma, solutions that restore dignity and offer displaced families the chance to rebuild their lives are taking shape.
