About twice the number of the last convoy of Burundian refugees will be repatriated by 24 September. The Burundian government is talking about two convoys, but Rwanda is reportedly for a convoy of about 1,000 people.
The Burundian government’s Ministry of Interior, Community Development and Public Security (MIDCSP) has announced that it will now receive two convoys a week from Mahama Camp in Rwanda. On the Rwandan side, neither the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) nor the public authorities seem to be aware of this change.
“The repatriation of two convoys of Burundians per week would not be possible because of all the work related to this activity,” said a reliable source.
“It takes one day for the covid-19 tests, one day waiting for the results, the isolation of the people who have been tested, followed by the departure of the convoy for Thursday,” she said. “Two convoys a week are not possible,” the source said.
The repatriation of refugees requires the intervention of three parties namely Burundi, Rwanda and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). For organizational reasons, the ministry in charge of emergency management (MINEMA) suggests a single convoy of up to 1,000 Burundian refugees per week instead of two.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) does not seem to be aware of this change or the number of Burundians to be repatriated could be doubled. “The Burundian government said it was able to receive a convoy of 500 people per week. We should see if they have increased their capacity,” said Elise Laura Villechalane, UNHCR spokeswoman in Kigali.
Villechalane recalls that the repatriation of refugees must be dignified and safe. “The return of refugees to their country must be dignified and secure. Safe is also the detection of covid-19 and the respect of the rules of social distancing,” she stresses.
Furthermore, Elise Laura Villechalane points out that the repatriation of refugees had not been planned this year. And that therefore the budget for this activity had not been foreseen. “For the moment we are managing to function,” she says.
“It would take 1.5 million dollars to organize the repatriation of 8,000 people by the end of the year,” she reveals. “We have appealed to donors to mobilize the necessary funds,” she added.
The last convoy on 10 September consisted of about 500 people. 5,000 refugees have already registered for repatriation. This activity continues at Mahama Camp.
Gérard Rugambwa
