Press Release: Launch of the All For Rwanda Movement

Launching of: “ALL FOR RWANDA”

On May 1, 2023, Rwandan activists around the world called for general mobilization to:

1. Support and defend the Rwandan refugees who live in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC);
2. Work for the return of all Rwandan refugees with dignity.

This call to action is a natural reaction to the multiple massacres and other crimes committed by the Rwandan army (RDF) and its proxy armed group (M23) against the Rwandan refugees, particularly since November 2021 when the RDF and the M23 resumed their attacks.

In response to this call to end this tragic situation, 6,231 people, civil society organizations, and opposition political parties have pledged their support to this initiative. They have decided to deploy all their resources to address the issue of Rwandan refugees, whose number amounts to more than 245,000 in the DRC, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

After consultation among a large number of individuals and organizations that have supported this call, it was decided to launch a movement to carry this citizen mobilization in favor of Rwandan refugees.

This movement, called “ALL FOR RWANDA”, advocates for all Rwandans to be able to return to Rwanda with dignity and for the Rwandan government to end the culture of systematic exclusion of some Rwandan citizens that forces them into exile, making them stateless and refugees.

ALL FOR RWANDA aims to be a global, broad, and inclusive movement that brings together all existing resources to support, defend, and give voice to refugees.

ALL FOR RWANDA believes that it is crucial for the Rwandan government to take into account the legitimate demands of these refugees and to work to find solutions to the problems that drive them to choose exile, often a very difficult option, rather than return to Rwanda.

Convinced that the reasons preventing the return of refugees are related to political and security issues, ALL FOR RWANDA believes that a lasting solution to the return of these refugees can only be found through a political response. In this regard, we consider that dialogue between the refugees and the Rwandan government is the only possible way to achieve a sustainable political solution.

Furthermore, ALL FOR RWANDA recalls that the FPR regime of Paul Kagame has been using the pretext of insecurity on its borders for decades to justify its numerous aggressions against the DRC and to create and maintain armed rebellions under its control, such as the M23. However, no one is fooled that this is actually a pretext to continue pillaging the rich subsoil of eastern Congo while mistreating the Congolese population and the Hutu Rwandan refugees who survived its recurring massacres. Solving the problem of Rwandan refugees will also put an end to this pretext.

Therefore, while supporting ongoing initiatives to search for peace in eastern DRC, ALL FOR RWANDA invites all stakeholders, both regional and international, to also take into account the issue of Rwandan refugees in order to put an end to the violence and insecurity that have been affecting the region for too long.

ALL FOR RWANDA calls on all Rwandans, as well as organizations working for Rwandans, such as churches, schools, businesses, NGOs, civil society associations, and political parties, to join the movement so that together we can achieve a lasting solution to the problem of refugees and the problem of instability and violence in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.

For ALL FOR RWANDA