The resident representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cameroon, Yvette Muhimpundu, announced the voluntary repatriation this year of 10,000 to 20,000 Central African refugees to their country of origin. This announcement was made during an audience granted on Friday by the Cameroonian Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji.
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This repatriation is expected to begin in the coming days. According to sources within the ministry, Friday’s discussions mainly focused on practical arrangements and logistical measures to facilitate this large-scale voluntary return.
On this occasion, Ms. Muhimpundu warmly congratulated the Cameroonian government for its legendary hospitality and ongoing commitment to the protection of Central African refugees, hosted on Cameroonian soil for about fifteen years.
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As a reminder, the last notable voluntary return operation dates back to March 26, 2025, involving a contingent of 523 Central African refugees, under the joint coordination of the Cameroonian government and the UNHCR. According to data from the UN institution, Cameroon currently hosts about 332,000 Central African refugees, the vast majority of whom live within local communities and designated sites in the East, North, and Adamawa regions.
Since the official launch of repatriation operations in 2019, facilitated by the gradual improvement of the security situation in several regions of the Central African Republic, just over 22,000 refugees have voluntarily returned to their homeland. This new humanitarian momentum aligns directly with the resolutions of the tripartite agreement signed in June 2016 between Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the UNHCR.
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