Kinshasa hosts tripartite talks on Central African refugee returns

Kinshasa is hosting the second tripartite meeting between the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Central African Republic, focused on repatriating Central African refugees. The session runs from June 9 to June 12, bringing together experts from all three parties.

Pierre Atchom, the UNHCR country representative in the DRC, stated that 22,604 biometrically registered Central African refugees remain in the country, mainly in the provinces of Nord-Ubangi, Sud-Ubangi, and Bas-Uélé. Additionally, some 65,000 new asylum seekers arrived in May 2025 in the locality of Zapaï, within the territory of Ango in Bas-Uélé.

Éric Mukandila, permanent secretary of the DRC’s National Commission for Refugees and head of the Congolese delegation, recalled that the voluntary repatriation process resumed after conflict-affected areas were pacified, following a July 2019 agreement between the DRC, the CAR, and the UNHCR. That accord was strengthened by the 2022 Yaoundé Declaration, which promotes a regional approach to durable solutions for people forcibly displaced by the Central African crisis. Mukandila noted that 40,000 Central Africans have already returned to their homeland since 2019, with the UNHCR facilitating safe and dignified conditions.

He stressed that a thorough examination is needed to address the anger and discouragement among those waiting to return, and to identify solutions for safe and dignified repatriation.

Mesmin Guenguebe Mbari, adviser on land planning for the Central African Republic and head of the CAR delegation, welcomed the return of more than 43 percent of Central Africans from the DRC under the agreement. He outlined his country’s forecast for this year: the potential return of nearly 60,000 refugees from various asylum countries, supported by an innovative strategy of development poles in return areas within CAR. He called for pragmatic and frank discussions, including a methodological pause to scientifically evaluate the lives of those already returned, analyze their integration into communities, and measure the real impact of assistance provided.