The Embassy of the Republic of Congo in South Africa has announced plans to organise voluntary repatriation flights for Congolese nationals wishing to return home, citing directives from national authorities and emergency consular assistance measures.
In a communiqué issued from Pretoria on June 16, 2026, and signed by the Ambassador of the Republic of Congo to South Africa, Jean Pierre Ossey, the embassy said the operation was designed to provide a “supervised, safe, and dignified return home” for citizens affected by the current situation in South Africa.
According to the embassy, three repatriation flights have been scheduled. The first flight will operate between Brazzaville and Cape Town on June 22, followed by a Brazzaville–Johannesburg–Brazzaville flight on June 23. A third flight between Brazzaville and Cape Town is scheduled for June 24.
The embassy urged Congolese nationals interested in participating in the repatriation exercise to complete their registration as soon as possible.
“The Embassy of the Republic of Congo in the Republic of South Africa wishes to inform all Congolese nationals that, in accordance with directives from the national authorities and as part of emergency consular assistance measures, voluntary repatriation flights are being planned,” the statement said.
Explaining the purpose of the operation, the embassy noted that, “In light of the vulnerable situation affecting many of our compatriots, this operation is intended to ensure a supervised, safe, and dignified return home.”
To facilitate the exercise, the embassy said all prospective passengers must provide their departure details through designated online registration platforms.
“To finalize logistical arrangements with the South African authorities, the Embassy strongly urges all compatriots wishing to benefit from these flights to complete and validate their departure information without delay by using the online registration links dedicated to this operation,” the communiqué stated.
The embassy added that registration links had been published on its official online platforms, particularly its Facebook page, and warned that available spaces would be allocated based on registration order and established priority guidelines.
“Given the urgency of the situation, placement on the flight manifest will be made strictly according to the order of registration and based on predefined priority criteria,” it said.
The diplomatic mission noted that further details regarding departure procedures would be communicated in the coming hours.
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The embassy also appealed to members of the Congolese community to remain calm and cooperate with authorities.
“The Embassy reiterates its call for calm and mutual solidarity and urges the community to strictly comply with all applicable laws and security instructions,” the statement added.
For urgent repatriation-related assistance, the embassy advised affected nationals to contact its crisis response unit through its designated telephone and email channels.
Several African nations are executing emergency repatriations of their citizens from South Africa following a severe surge in xenophobic violence and threats targeting foreign nationals.
The unrest has been fueled by targeted protests and a looming June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
For instance, the Nigerian government has actively begun evacuating its nationals. A flight carrying about 260 Nigerians recently landed safely in Lagos at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Hundreds of other citizens have registered with the consulate for upcoming evacuation flights.
Nigeria has also summoned South Africa’s acting high commissioner in Abuja to protest the violence.
Ghana was one of the first countries to initiate mass evacuations. The Ghanaian government has repatriated about 1,000 citizens from South Africa to Accra.
The evacuations have resulted in a diplomatic dispute, with South Africa accusing Ghana’s Foreign Minister of spreading misinformation regarding the violence.
Similarly, thousands of Malawian nationals, including hundreds of children, were forced to flee their homes and seek safety in makeshift transit camps, such as in the port city of Durban.
The Malawian government has begun repatriating these citizens, with an initial batch of 171 returnees arriving home safely.
Several other countries are actively intervening to protect their populations. Mozambique has bussed out over 700 of its nationals following targeted attacks in the Western Cape.
Zimbabwe has also organized transport to bring back dozens of its citizens who were driven out of their homes. Countries including Kenya and Lesotho have issued strict travel warnings to their nationals in South Africa.
