AFRICA/BURUNDI - Refugees who fled violence in Kivu in June leave Burundi to make their way back to Democratic Congo: news confirmed by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees

Wednesday, 8 September 2004

Bujumbura (Agenzia Fides) - The United Nations High Commission for Refugees UNHCR has confirmed in a recent report that a considerable number of refugees who had sought safety in Burundi are on their way back to Democratic Congo. In the report, a copy of which was sent to Fides, the Organisation said “While on mission last week at the Rugombo transit centre in Cibitoke province, a UNHCR team noted that there were less refugees in the camp. After speaking with the refugees in the camp and local authorities, including the governor of Cibitoke, the team was able to reported reliably that at least that 500 had crossed the border back into Congo”.
Later various other groups started the return journey but there is no confirmation that they were allowed to enter Congo. Since UNHCR operators have no access to the border zone they are unable to monitor repatriation and give exact figures on the number of Congolese leaving Burundi to return home. UNHCR asked permission to be present at the border check-point on the River Rusizi, but the Burundian authorities refused to grant access on the grounds that there is not enough security to guarantee safety for the agency’s personnel.
According to a UNHCR survey conducted in July there were 19.429 Congolese refugees in Burundi who had fled fighting in June in the eastern Congo region of south Kivu. A total of 17.662 refugees were counted in the province of Cibitoke, 10.780 at Rugombo transit centre and 6.882 at Karurama centre, and another 1.767 were counted in the transit centre of Gatumba.
Some of the remaining refugees in Rugombo transit centre asked UNHCR to help them return. But the Agency fears that the conditions in the place in which they wish to return do not guarantee a safe and sustainable repatriation. The UNHCR team also informed the refugees in Rugombo that recently the Burundian government assigned areas in which to set up transit camps for returning refugees further away from the insecure border zone. UNHCR will supply water, food, schooling and hygiene-health system in two camps to be opened in Mwaro and Rutana. Moreover the Burundian said that transit centre in the border zone will be closet for security reasons.
At least 152 Congolese refugees were killed and 100 wounded in an attack at Gatumba camp on the border between Burundi and Congo on August 13 (see Fides 3 September 2004). (L.M.) )(Agenzia Fides 8/9/2004 righe 36 parole 437)


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