{"id":53040,"date":"2025-02-17T20:49:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T20:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/photos-400-congolese-nationals-who-fled-to-rwanda-return-home-as-calm-restores\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T11:55:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T11:55:06","slug":"photos-400-congolese-nationals-who-fled-to-rwanda-return-home-as-calm-restores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/photos-400-congolese-nationals-who-fled-to-rwanda-return-home-as-calm-restores\/","title":{"rendered":"PHOTOS: 400 Congolese nationals who fled to Rwanda return home as calm restores in Bukavu"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Congolese citizens who had been living in Rwanda had sought assistance to return to Goma and Bukavu.  <\/p>\n<p>Local authorities organized buses to transport them from Bugarama to Kamembe and Rubavu, with the Congolese nationals covering their own transport fees. Meanwhile, 25 individuals expressed their desire to stay and will be hosted at the Nyarushishi Transit Center.  <\/p>\n<p>Those returning to Bukavu crossed the Rusizi Border I Post, which serves as the main exit point for people leaving Rwanda and the primary entry point for those entering the Democratic Republic of Congo, at around 3 p.m.  <\/p>\n<p>The returnees said the security situation had improved since the M23 captured Bukavu over the weekend. Some of them told IGIHE that they had been at the Kamanyola border after fleeing Wazalendo fighters, who were shooting at them as M23 forces advanced into the city.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI work at Kamanyola, but my home is in Goma. FARDC soldiers were retreating from Bukavu, firing their weapons and creating tension. The Wazalendo fighters were ruthless and inhumane, forcing us to flee,\u201d said Simplice Yuma Kisubi.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI heard there is no longer a problem in Bukavu, which is why I have returned home through this border post,\u201d he added.  <\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"656\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nZRe1VQYnyU\" title=\"Congolese nationals expose FARDC looting and terror after fleeing Bukavu\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Other residents who spoke to IGIHE were traders who had initially feared returning due to insecurity but were now relieved to do so. They accused Congolese forces and allied militias of terrorizing them and looting their goods. According to them, the M23 has brought much-needed relief to the region.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are glad that the border is open, and we can go back home to reunite with our loved ones,\u201d another Congolese national stated.  <\/p>\n<p>The returnees thanked the Rwandan government for its hospitality and for granting them safe passage home.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thank the government of Rwanda and the Ministry of Interior for receiving us. They treated us well, fed us, and gave us water. Those who were sick received medical attention, and they provided us with transportation,\u201d Kisubi remarked.  <\/p>\n<p>M23 rebels entered Bukavu, the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, over the weekend. <\/p>\n<p>In a recent statement, the rebels\u2014who claim to be fighting against the continued persecution and marginalization of Congolese Rwandophones\u2014stated that they were protecting the city after government forces abandoned it, plunging it into anarchy.<\/p>\n<p>The rebels had been advancing south toward Bukavu since seizing Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, at the end of last month. <\/p>\n<p>The capture of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province, represents an unprecedented expansion of M23-controlled territory since the insurgency reignited in 2022 and delivers another blow to Kinshasa&#8217;s authority in the east.  <\/p>\n<p>This latest advance comes just days after President F\u00e9lix Tshisekedi accused former President Joseph Kabila of siding with the rebels in an alleged attempt to destabilize the country.  <\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81805 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9914.jpg\" alt=\"About 400 Congolese nationals who had recently fled their homes returned on Monday, February 17, 2025, as normalcy began to return to Bukavu.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81804 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9910.jpg\" alt=\"The Congolese citizens who had been living in Rwanda had sought assistance to return to Goma and Bukavu.  \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81792 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9752.jpg\" alt=\"ocal authorities organized buses to transport them from Bugarama to Kamembe and Rubavu, with the Congolese nationals covering their own transport fees. \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81803 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9940_1.jpg\" alt=\"Those returning to Bukavu crossed the Rusizi Border I Post, which serves as the main exit point for people leaving Rwanda and the primary entry point for those entering the Democratic Republic of Congo, at around 3 p.m.  \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81800 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9905.jpg\" alt=\"The returnees said the security situation had improved since the M23 captured Bukavu over the weekend. \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81801 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9883.jpg\" alt=\"The returnees thanked the Rwandan government for its hospitality and for granting them safe passage home.  \" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81797 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9850.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81795 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9852-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81794 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9788.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81793 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9776.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-81791 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/000a9941.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About 400 Congolese nationals who had recently fled their homes returned on Monday, February 17, 2025, as normalcy began to return to Bukavu following the capture of the city by the M23 rebel group.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000081808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-53040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default 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