Congolese refugees in Rwanda

The Salvation Army has played a crucial role in supporting Congolese refugees at the Nkamira Transit Centre in Rwanda, primarily through the distribution of essential non-food items. This initiative has been vital in addressing the immediate needs of refugees who have fled conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often arriving with minimal possessions.

Recognising the urgent requirement for basic sleeping materials, The Salvation Army provided mattresses and kikoyis – a versatile cloth used both as clothing and bedding – to enhance comfort and dignity for the refugees. This effort was particularly significant given that the transit centre, initially designed for 2,000 individuals, was accommodating more than 9,000 people at one point.

The Salvation Army also distributed essential hygiene items, such as soap and sanitary pads, addressing the needs of a population where approximately 90 per cent are women and children.

Rosine's story

Rosine, an 18-year-old girl, was born in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo into a Tutsi family. She resides in the Nkamira refugee camp in Rwanda, where she sought refuge in October 2024 after enduring years of severe ethnic discrimination and violence.

In her testimony, Rosine recounts the harrowing events that befell her family. In 2023, she lost her parents and siblings, who were killed by FDLR rebels collaborating with the Congolese army. As a young girl, these traumatic experiences forced her into premature adulthood. Adding to her suffering, Rosine was subjected to sexual violence by these rebels, resulting in a pregnancy while she was 13 years old. She now cares for her daughter, born from this ordeal, in the Nkamira camp.

Rosine's responsibilities extend beyond her own child. Following the death of her elder sister, she took in her niece, raising her as her own. The child frequently enquires about her mother's whereabouts, to which Rosine responds that she is enroute to the camp, unable to reveal the painful truth of her sister’s demise. For Rosine, this situation is a constant source of distress, knowing that the hatred and violence that claimed her sister’s life remain unresolved.

Life in the camp is challenging, but Rosine expresses gratitude for the security it provides and the assistance from organisations like UNHCR (the UN refugee agency), ADRA Rwanda and The Salvation Army. Her two children attend school and live in safety.

Rosine is grateful to Rwanda for welcoming her, but hopes she is one day able to return to her home country, when Congolese nationals of Tutsi ethnicity are able to have equal rights and when peace is upheld.

Gashati’s story

Gashati is from a Tutsi community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but currently lives in the Nkamira refugee camp in Rwanda, where he arrived in October 2024. He is the father of twins, who with their mother are sheltered in another camp.

Gashati’s life has been shaped by pain and repeated displacement. He has experienced exile twice. The first time was in 1996, when he fled to Rwanda with his parents and siblings. At that time, they were being persecuted by Hutu militias who had fled from Rwanda after the genocide and who began stealing cattle and attacking Tutsi communities in Congo. On arriving in Rwanda, Gashati and his family were first received at Nkamira camp and later transferred to Mudende camp.

However, peace did not last in Mudende. In 1998, rebels attacked the camp, killing Gashati’s parents and many of their cows. Only five cows remained. Feeling unsafe even in Rwanda, he chose to return to the DRC in 2002 to care for those remaining cows. He settled in a place called Mahanga in Masisi, and over time, his herd grew to 27 cattle.

In 2015, Gashati’s life took another tragic turn. He was abducted by FDLR rebels simply for being Tutsi. The rebels beat him severely; some abductees died from the torture. Gashati survived but was left seriously injured – he could no longer walk and had become disabled.

Fortunately, Gashati had lived near a community of Bahunde people in Masisi. These neighbours, moved by compassion and past friendships, came searching for him and negotiated with his captors for his release. These Bahunde neighbours cared for him, escorting him through dangerous territory, paying bribes at roadblocks, and ensuring he reached the Rwanda-Congo border alive.

Today, Gashati has no job and no cattle left, but he is deeply grateful to be alive. Reflecting on his experience, he says: ‘I had lost all hope, but the Bahunde treated me like family. They looked beyond ethnicity and saved my life. I still thank them to this day. Now, I only pray for peace and reconciliation in my country, Congo.’