A total of 450 children born to Congolese refugee families currently sheltered in the Nyarushishi Camp in Rusizi District have received measles and rubella vaccinations.
According to Dr. Bonaventure Manirumva, the health officer in the camp under the medical humanitarian organization ALIGHT, the vaccination drive is targeting children who previously missed essential immunization.
“We must determine whether they have received vaccines or not,” he explained. “Children under five have now been reached, and for those who had not been vaccinated, we are administering the doses, and extending coverage to children up to 15 years old. This ensures they are protected from diseases that may arise in the absence of vaccination.”
Parents who spoke to RBA expressed relief, noting that while still in the Democratic Republic of Congo, their children did not consistently receive required vaccines.
Local authorities in Rusizi District report that 1,222 Congolese refugees crossed into Rwanda via the Bugarama border between December 3 and 5, 2025, fleeing escalating conflict in South Kivu.
The influx follows renewed heavy fighting early Friday morning, when a coalition of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), Burundian troops, and the Wazalendo militia launched major attacks on AFC/M23-controlled areas in the Katogota trading center in Uvira Territory and in Kamanyola in Walungu Territory.
According to Radio Okapi, Kamanyola experienced intense clashes as forces battled for control of National Road No. 5, the vital route linking Bukavu and Uvira.
By Thursday, reports indicated that seven civilians had been killed, six others injured, markets and schools had been shut down, and residents who had not yet fled were living in fear and uncertainty.
