The refugees said that areas in eastern DRC from which they fled are now largely controlled by armed groups such as AFC/M23 and Twirwaneho, which they describe as relatively more stable than other regions. This has given them cautious hope that returning home could now be safe.
On January 7, 2025, refugee representatives began their visit at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali and continued to the embassies of Qatar, China, Russia, France, the DRC, and others. They also visited offices of UN agencies in Rwanda and the European Union.
Carrying banners with messages condemning hatred and discrimination, the refugees handed over a 10-page petition detailing abuses in their homeland and calling on the international community to intervene. They also displayed a banner showing photos of political leaders in the DRC alongside messages denouncing the violence that forced their families to flee, with some remaining in exile for more than 30 years.
Agnes Uwimana, who arrived in Rwanda in 1996 as a 12-year-old and now lives in Kiziba Camp in Karongi District, said that she fled due to targeted discrimination against Tutsi, Hema, and Banyamulenge communities, and that the threats persist even decades later.
'Discrimination and hatred against us have never stopped, even after more than 30 years in exile. Violence and persecution continue, and refugees are still fleeing the DRC,' she said. 'We need the international community to advocate for our safe return. Growing up in exile and raising children here is a challenge. Justice must also be done for those spreading divisive and harmful rhetoric.'
Sebutezi Edison Munyakarambi, who has spent over 13 years at Kigeme Camp in Nyamagabe with his family, said that they are weary of being regarded as foreigners in their own country.
'In 2012, as conflict escalated, the Governor of South Kivu warned that anyone returning home risked death. They called us foreigners,' he said.
Munyakarambi stressed the importance of raising awareness internationally to pressure the DRC leadership to end discrimination and create conditions for refugees to return safely.
Kalinda Chance Uwase, in Nkamira Camp in Rubavu District for three years, said she had to abandon her secondary school studies and her dream of becoming a doctor due to the conflict. She said that developments in eastern DRC, particularly the relative stability in areas controlled by AFC/M23 and Twirwaneho, have renewed hope for a safe return.
The refugees' embassy visits come days after peaceful demonstrations were held in Rwandan camps on January 1, protesting remarks by Maj Gen Sylvain Ekenge, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), which they condemned as hate speech. The protesters called for international legal action against the senior military official.
Maj Gen Ekenge appeared on Congolese national television on 27 December 2025, during a broadcast in which he made remarks targeting Congolese Tutsis, including comments discouraging intermarriage with Tutsi women.
The statements sparked widespread criticism and diplomatic pressure, leading Congolese authorities to suspend Maj Gen Ekenge from his duties. However, the refugees urged stronger measures, insisting that the hatred is deeply entrenched and that accountability must go beyond a mere suspension.
IGIHE
