Kinshasa, January 12th, 2026 (CPA) – The Congolese refugees living in the Tanzanian port city of Kigoma have benefited from better food supplies and a message of hope on Sunday, as part of the second stage of the government’s humanitarian mission to provide immediate support, it was reported on Monday by official sources. « This mission reflects the on-going concern of the Head of State and the Government for all Congolese, wherever they may be, particularly those forced into exile by foreign aggression. We are providing immediate comfort, food supplies and a message of hope, while working with the Tanzanian authorities and the UNHCR to improve care and ensure dignified and safe voluntary repatriation as soon as conditions allow, » has declared Eve Bazaiba Masudi, Minister in charge of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity, upon her arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport. Substantial donations of food items (rice, beans, corn and soy flour), hygiene kits, blankets and essential medicines have been delivered on site. This visit comes on the heels of a successful operation in Burundi, where more than 67,000 Congolese refugees have received food, non-food items, shelter and medicines at the Busuma site in Ruyigi. It is part of the national solidarity effort decided by His Excellency the President of the Republic, Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, in response to the mass exodus caused by the continuing Rwandan war of aggression via M23-AFC terrorists in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Accompanied by the Minister Delegate in charge of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Mr Crispin Mbadu, the Minister in charge of Humanitarian Action will visit the Kigoma region, where several thousand of our compatriots have found refuge after fleeing the violence in the provinces of Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu.
The government delegation plans to meet with local Tanzanian authorities, officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and representatives of Congolese refugees. This regional humanitarian action demonstrates the Congolese authorities’ firm commitment to leaving no compatriot in distress, despite the difficult security situation imposed by the illegal occupation of parts of the national territory by negative forces supported by Kigali. The mission will continue in the coming days, with a particular focus on assessing priority needs and coordinating with humanitarian partners to provide sustainable assistance. ACP/