Burundi Repatriates 470 Congolese Refugees
BURUNDI – Burundi on Thursday repatriated 470 Congolese refugees to the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a voluntary repatriation program, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The repatriation was spearheaded by the Burundian and Congolese governments with the support of the UNHCR.
The returnees, repatriated from the Busuma camp in Burundi’s Ruyigi province, are to be resettled in the border city of Uvira in South Kivu province, where they had fled from four months ago due to insecurity.
The UNHCR representative in Burundi, Brigitte Eno, told reporters at the camp that the returnees were provided transport from Burundi and would be given resettlement packages.
“After arriving in Congo, these people will be able to benefit from what we call a ‘small return package’ from UNHCR to allow them to reintegrate safely and in dignity,” she said.
“The World Food Program (WFP) is giving them food rations to last for two months, while children will be helped to reintegrate into education.”
Following Thursday’s launch, transportation will be organized twice a week to transport around 1,000 people until the current requests for voluntary repatriation are exhausted, according to Eno.
Jean Claude Mpawenimana, the representative of Burundi’s National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons, assured that Burundi in consultation with Congo and UNHCR has committed to supporting the return under favorable conditions.
The vice-governor of South Kivu, Jean Jacques Elakano, said necessary measures were taken to guarantee the security of the returnees as well as harmonious repatriation.
Roughly 65,000 Congolese fled to Burundi following the seizure of the city of Uvira in early December last year by AFC/M23 rebels, according to UN humanitarian agencies.
But days later, the group withdrew its forces from the key commercial hub close to Burundi following a demand by the US.
Burundi hosts more than 230,000 refugees, mainly from Congo.
