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Boulevard du 30 Juin, Arret VodaCom, Gombe Division, Kinshasa.
Mitigating constructed Myths around Refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Great popular support to our Campaign for Solitary towards refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo
With one objective: To mitigate the presence of refugees and mobilize the host communities to participate in the refugee protection.
Background information
Not much is spoken about refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo yet they do exist, it is rare for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Congolese National Commissioner for Refugees to avail information to the public about refugees in DRC. Actually actors within the refugee regime claim that refugee issue in DRC is sensitive, okay what makes it sensitive and can we address it? Until when should it be left sensitive? And should we leave it like that and how does it help refugees? Others claim that refugee issues in DRC is complex, then what? Can we make it easier for other people to understand? How does this complexity contribute to the protection of refugees? Can ignorant local and host communities protect refugees?
Basing on that background we strongly believe that refugee protection is based on a strong and well informed host community where the very first protection of refugees is rooted. That is why we are engaging the entire population to know more about refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo, what is expected from the host communities in order to advance refugee protection and create better opportunities for refugees.
The first week of our social media campaign in DRCongo
Today is the first week of our Campaign we launched on Social Media in order to engage Congolese and other people of good will about refugees in DRC. We are making posters and then share them on social media at least one each day. The intention is to help our audience to know more about refugees and then give their views.
While our Campaign has gained support, positive reactions and provoked discussions in various WhatsApp groups, we have also received messages threatening us and Congolese asking us questions what about Internally Displaced Persons, in some groups some people has called us “Rwandans” especially when we spoke for the protection of Rwandan refugees. These are anyway mere messages. The phone numbers of people who have been negative are generally those from Rwanda.
We want to now to continue the Campaign
We planned to have this campaign just for one week and should involve few people who should share their messages, but we have been over whelmed by many requests from Congolese who have sent us their messages in solidarity with refugees and their Photos in order to publish them. So this Campaign will continue until all messages are done.
This is alone is a clear sign that the allegations which have been fabricated over the years that Congolese people are hostile against refugees are wrong and not accurate. This alone brings down the arguments that refugees should remain anonymous in DRC because the host communities may attack them. Now we should continue to empower the communities to improve the protection of refugees where they live together through activities such peace, conflict resolution and pacific cohabitation between refugees and host communities.
Meeting with a delegation of Rwandan Refugees
As a result of this Campaign, on Saturday May 9th, 2026 a Delegation of Rwandan refugees visited our offices in Kinshasa in order to exchange on issues their facing. They welcomed our campaign and thanked us for raising up the situation of refugees and urged us to continue the good work, and claimed that they are now convinced that they have allies in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
They also indicated to us how they live in anonymous and in secrete because they fear the regime of Rwanda may come to kill them and also fear the host communities in which they are living that they may attack Rwandan refugees because of the current war between DRC and Rwanda. This one said “The problem is that local population may not know who is a Rwandan refugees and who is a spy from Rwanda, they call of us Rwandans and in that way there are risks to be attacked by the local population here in Kinshasa”.
This other one also said “my wife is a Congolese but she does not know that I’m a refugee from Rwanda, I have lived in my area for 13 years now but no one knows that I’m a Rwandan refugee and I do not want them to know because they can attack me”.
This woman indicated to us “Now the challenge of hiding also is becoming a problem, we have children who ask us questions, we changed their names and gave them Congolese names so that others may not know they are Rwandans but now they ask questions: Where is our village? Who are our Grand-Parents and all other relatives, can we go and visit them?”
Then this other one also said “you see here in DRC the refugee status has no value, there is no reason why Rwandan refugees should yearn for it, because there are not protection measures attached to it. Actually in most cases UNHCR officers have participated in forced repatriations of Rwandan refugees, these staffs have provided information to Rwanda about refugees, and some among these UNHCR staffs are actually Rwandans who are used as spies”.
In our reactions we intended to argue and shared with them the reality that it may be difficult for Rwanda to come to Kinshasa, pick a refugee and send him or her to Kigali, and encouraged actually to share information with us and the government authorities about people they think are spies from Rwanda, in the same way share information about people they think are at risk. We shared with them how a strong community bondage can help in the protection of refugees and this what we should promote. The fear they have about local population is based on their worst experience in 1998 when again Rwanda backed rebels attacked the Capital Kinshasa, which we may not base on now, and gain this happened because the host communities were not educated so much about the difference between refugees and Rwandan Migrants or Spies. We all agreed that host communities have no clear information about refugees and should be part of our focus.
While we may not be certain if people within UNHCR and CNR who are perceived as Rwandans are Spies, we are so much preoccupied about the selection of people who are working in these institutions who may raise issues of neutrality and trust, and we are also preoccupied about the position of these institutions towards refugees’ especially Rwandan refugees. UNHCR and CNR in DRC are not institutions refugees feel free to go towards but to run away, this fades the whole mandate of protection.
Official reactions
We have not yet received any official reactions to this Campaign and it is not design for official purpose, however some Actors of the Civil Society have shown their support. In the same way the Campaign has not yet attracted the mainstream media but again more activities focusing on the media will be organized.
Conclusion
Let us help the host communities to get information about refugees and hold the host community responsible for refugee protection rather than hiding them about the presence of refugees in their communities. Let us help refugees to feel free so that they can explore their potential rather than living in fear, pretense and hiding.
Please join us and let us do this together with you.
Thanks
The global theme for World Refugee Day 2026, observed on June 20, is “Solidarity with refugees“. This theme emphasizes taking meaningful, actionable steps—beyond mere sympathy—to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of displaced people worldwide.
The global theme for World Refugee Day 2026, observed on June 20, is “Solidarity with refugees“. This theme emphasizes taking meaningful, actionable steps—beyond mere sympathy—to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of displaced people worldwide.
Our information session with refugee leaders in Kinshasa City in March 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo
Participation du COJESKI-DRC à la réunion du sous-groupe de la Justice Transitionnelle à la MONUSCO, Kinshasa République Démocratique du Congo. Le COJESKI-RDC a été valablement représenté par son chargée des Relations Publiques car nous avons mis la question des Migrants Forcés l’une de notre priorité, et cette situation est aussi le focus de la Thématique Justice Transitionnelle. Cette Thématique est composée des différentes organisations de la Société Civile qui travaillent dans le domaine de la Justice Transitionnelle, ceci nous donne plus d’opportunité à bien informer les autres sur la situation des Refugies, des Personnes Déplacées Internes et autres Migrants en RDC.
Participants a la reunion de la Justice Transitionelle au Bureau de la MONUSCO
Ce vendredi 17 avril 2026, notre structure COJESKI-RDC (Collectif des Organisations des Jeunes Solidaires du Congo- Kinshasa) a pris part à une séance de travail organisée à la MONUSCO par le sous-groupe du BTK|Justice Transitionnelle dans la salle Bravo, autour du processus de l’Examen Périodique Universel (EPU)
Cette réunion avait pour objectif de :
* Renforcer la coordination des organisations de la société civile ;
* Enregistrer officiellement les structures membres du sous-groupe ;
* Consolider la participation des OSC au processus de l’EPU.
Les échanges ont été largement centrés sur la Justice Transitionnelle en RDC, un enjeu crucial pour la paix, la vérité et la réparation des victimes.
Dans cette dynamique, des décisions concrètes ont été prises :
* Mise en place de groupes de travail ;
* Organisation prochaine de descentes auprès :
* Du Parlement ;
* Du Ministère de droits humains
Pour savoir si la RDC en est où avec la proposition de la loi sur la Justice transitionnelle,
Rappel
Nous devions aussi rappeler que même si les efforts sont en cours pour identifier les sites ou les différentes personnes ont été massacrées, même si nous avons déjà des monuments de commémoration dans plusieurs milieux, rien n’a été fait pour les refugies qui restent encore oublie et ceci nous interpelle de ne laisser personne et de lutter pour la reconnaissance de toutes les victimes en République Démocratique du Congo. Ceci est notre combat.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has a long history of hosting refugees but also the country is not known of hosting refugees, the country is known as producing refugees towards neighboring countries. However refugees are still able to be traced are those who came since 1950s up today. DRC does not have clear refugee welcome process and people do come and settle in various communities and sometimes in free spaces on their own.
The number of refugees in DRC is also unknown but we estimate refugees at about 4millions as they range from 1950 up today. Some claim to be now Congolese Citizens and it is one among the causes of ethnic wars in some parts of the country mainly in South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri and Tchopo, others occupy land and spaces which they claim is theirs and this has created hostilities between them of host communities, some have acquired all Congolese documents and have mixed up, but what is interesting is that in each community people or members of the community are able to tell you who came as foreigners and now settled in the communities.
The presence of Rwandan Refugees in Eastern DRC who are not managed is one among the causes of conflicts between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We believe that a proper management of refugees in DRC will reduce the causes of conflict in the Great Lakes Region alongside with various political reforms which may favor refugees to return back to their countries of origin.
The word refugees in not so much used, what people have are words in their own tongue which means foreigners.
We believe that the solutions to refugee problematic in DRC will restore peace at 60% in Province like South Kivu, North Kivu, Ituri and Tchopo. In order to do so we are coming up with a strategy of “ Effective Refugee Protection in DRC”, this focuses on research and advocacy especially Policy Advocacy, currently we are advocating for s Law which will promote the protection of refugees in DRC since 1950 up to now.
Awareness activities among refugees and host communities in order to live together and reduce tensions especially that refugees are known, the issues of land between refugees and host communities, and the recognition of refugee settlements but also the identification of all refugees and the necessity to provide them relief aid. Then lastly we are promoting the three durable solutions: Resettlement, Local Integration and Voluntary Repatriation, however because voluntary repatriation has been highly abused in DRC, we do not focus on it as per now.
Our activities also do focus on livelihoods and economic empowerment of refugees and also the protection of their rights. Many initiatives are being put in place currently because refugees are among our priorities now.
In this way we are also focusing our activities on Congolese and other people who claim they are Congolese who are in other different countries, we should ensure that their return may not be the cause of conflict again. We are proposing a refugee status to all those who took guns and still have guns claiming they want a Congolese Citizenship. We do not need to start a war in order to become or claim for a citizenship yet through local integration we can reach to that goal.
North Kivu Province will be the Headquarters for all our refugees activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and still Monsignor Christophe Muzihirwa will be our Symbol for refugee Activities and the month of October will be focused on the protection of refugees in DRC, through commemorations.
