Towards the end of July, a letter co-signed by five Burundians from the Mahama Refugee Camp asked the Head of State, Major General Evariste Ndayishimiye, for a dignified and legal repatriation.
The new Burundian Head of State, Major General Evariste Ndayishimiye, responds surprisingly. According to him, the Burundian refugees in Mahama Camp were taken hostage by the Rwandan government to protect criminals who committed crimes in their country before going into exile.
As a solution, President Ndayishimiye proposed that they should stand up and return home spontaneously. Under normal conditions, the repatriation of refugees is carried out in accordance with the law.
“Rwanda reaffirms the principle of voluntary repatriation as a durable solution for refugees, in accordance with international and Rwandan law,” responded the Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA) having refugees in its attributions on August 3, 2020.
The issue of repatriation of refugees is done through diplomatic channels. And generally the tripartite commission sits down to discuss and organize this action.
When the 331 refugees, some of them do not know how they were put on the list, ask their newly elected president to be “repatriated with dignity and legality as your children”, that is it.
Further on in their letter they suggest to the young Head of State how to do this. “We want bilateral talks to take place between Burundi and Rwanda, in the presence of UNHCR, so that we can enjoy our rights and dignity to return to our homeland. ”
As the Nkurunziza regime has always done, instead of getting down to work to find an appropriate solution to this problem, the new head of state is looking for a scapegoat that would prevent the exiles from returning home.
Rwanda has not taken the Burundian refugees hostage. It is awaiting the holding of the tripartite commission to respond to the wishes of the Burundian refugees from Mahama.
“Rwanda…is ready to facilitate the safe and dignified return of those who choose to return, in collaboration with UNHCR and the governments concerned,” said MINEMA in charge of refugees.
Telling them to get up and leave is not the dignity they are asking for. That is not the mercy they are talking about in their letter.
On June 20, World Refugee Day, the minister in charge of Emergency Management, Marie Solange Kayisire, issued a statement encouraging those concerned with the repatriation of refugees to assume their responsibilities.
“If humanitarian response and other durable solutions are needed, there is no better place than home. The Government of Rwanda appreciates the progress made to ensure security and stability in our region, and encourages the parties concerned to implement comprehensive solutions that will reassure refugees and enable them to return home voluntarily in safety and dignity. ”
The minister had reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to refugee protection. “The Government of Rwanda, in partnership with the various parties concerned, reiterates its commitment to ensure the safety and protection of refugees, as well as to improve their well-being through access to basic services, education, documentation, employment and socio-economic opportunities. ”
UNHCR’s July 31, 2020 update on the issue of Burundian refugees in the region reveals that “almost all returns from Rwanda and Uganda so far have been spontaneous. ”
In Tanzania, the Tripartite Commission met more than once for the repatriation of refugees, although echoes of some compulsion to return home were heard. All the same, it must be acknowledged that their return is organized. For the 72 thousand undesirables in Rwanda, they have to get up and walk.
Gerard Rugambwa
