Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are preparing to cautiously restart the voluntary repatriation of Central African refugees living in Cameroon, as security and health concerns continue to complicate returns.
Meeting in Yaoundé on July 14 under the Tripartite Commission's Technical Working Group, the three partners discussed how to respond to the growing number of refugees expressing a desire to return home while ensuring they are not exposed to the security and public health risks that remain in the CAR.
The discussions concern roughly 282,640 Central African refugees still living in Cameroon, mainly in the East, Adamawa, and North regions. For the UNHCR, one principle remains non-negotiable: returns must be voluntary, informed, and carried out in conditions of safety and dignity.
The three parties are therefore working to establish the safeguards needed before organizing new convoys, including reliable information on conditions in areas of return, protection mechanisms, material assistance, and support for reintegration.
UNHCR stresses informed choice
The UN refugee agency said it will continue working with both governments to ensure every refugee considering return has access to up-to-date information before making a decision.
That includes information on security conditions, access to basic services, healthcare, and opportunities to rebuild their lives in their communities of origin. "The UNHCR will continue working with governments, partners, and refugee communities to promote solutions based on protection, dignity, and shared responsibility," the agency said.
The organization argues that physical return alone cannot be considered a durable solution unless refugees can return to minimum levels of safety, housing, healthcare, education, and livelihoods.
CAR urges patience
Central African authorities acknowledge that more refugees are willing to return but say conditions are not yet stable enough to accelerate the process. Josiane Lina Bemaka-Soui, the CAR's minister in charge of humanitarian affairs, cited ongoing attacks by armed groups and a cholera outbreak affecting Bangui and surrounding areas.
"The Central African Republic is currently facing major challenges. We have a cholera outbreak in Bangui and nearby areas, and we continue to face attacks by armed groups. We are asking the Cameroonian government to give us a little more time to stabilize the situation before quickly resuming the repatriation process," she told Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV).
Bangui is therefore calling for a gradual and coordinated resumption of returns with Cameroon and the UNHCR to avoid sending refugees back to areas where their safety or access to essential services cannot be guaranteed.
More than 10,000 refugees returned in 2025
Cameroon remains one of the main host countries for people displaced by conflict in the Central African Republic. According to UNHCR figures, the country was hosting 412,521 refugees as of June 30, 2026, with more than two-thirds coming from the CAR.
Voluntary repatriation has gradually resumed in recent years. More than 10,000 Central African refugees returned home in 2025 with support from the UNHCR and the governments of Cameroon and the CAR.
The three partners hope to build on that progress while maintaining procedures that verify the voluntary nature of departures and provide long-term reintegration support.
Security conditions remain decisive
Any broader resumption of returns will ultimately depend on developments inside the Central African Republic. The continued presence of armed groups, widespread humanitarian needs, weak public services, and the cholera outbreak all argue for a cautious approach.
The Yaoundé meeting builds on regional efforts to find lasting solutions for people displaced by the crisis in the CAR. Cameroon previously hosted a ministerial conference on the issue in April 2022. Four years later, the objective remains the same: allowing refugees who wish to return home to do so without turning their return into another forced displacement.
The success of the process will therefore depend less on the number of people repatriated than on the ability of Cameroon, the CAR, and the UNHCR to ensure their long-term safety and reintegration.
Patricia Ngo Ngouem