At least 2,500 Congolese refugees are to be moved from Burundi's central province of Mwaro to the eastern Ruyigi province in a move aimed at consolidating camps across the country.
Already, the new camp in Ruyigi is hosting 500 Congolese refugees who had been in the Songore transit camp in Ngozi province, Bernard Ntwari, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) public information assistant, said.
The refugees, due to be moved from 15 August from Gihinga camp, are mostly members of the Banyamulenge ethnic group, most of whom survived a massacre on 13 August 2004 at Gatumba camp, northwest of Bujumbura. More than 150 refugees were killed when armed groups attacked the camp.
Ntwari said an extension of the Bwagiriza camp in Ruyigi would accommodate the refugees from Gihinga. Built on 60ha, the camp can host up to 9,000 refugees.
Clémentine Awu Nkweta-Salami, the UNHCR representative in Burundi, said in a statement issued on 28 July that the move “falls in the framework of implementation of a recommendation by Burundi government, donors and the UNHCR to consolidate refugee camps on the national territory for operational and budgetary reasons.
"Bwagiriza camp meets all conditions for protection and assistance to the refugees pending their return to their country,” Nkweta-Salami added.
The agency urged the refugees in Gihinga to register for the transfer to Bwagiriza before the start of the school year in September.
However, some refugees expressed concern over the impending transfer, saying they feared a recurrence of the Gatumba massacre.
"It is sad news for us; the camp [Gihinga] was built against our own will," Freddy Gakunzi, Gihinga camp leader said. "We now fear to move to Bwagiriza [which is] close to Tanzania, a country harbouring the Babembe [a Congolese ethnic group], our enemies."
Gakunzi claimed the Babembe were still holding some Banyamulenge hostage.
While admitting that it was often difficult to leave a place one had become used to, Ntwari said: "It is the government which decides on the place where to settle asylum seekers and refugees; everything will be put in place for a peaceful cohabitation within the camp."
Burundi hosts at least 29,000 refugees, mostly Congolese, in four camps and in urban centres.
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Already, the new camp in Ruyigi is hosting 500 Congolese refugees who had been in the Songore transit camp in Ngozi province, Bernard Ntwari, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) public information assistant, said.
The refugees, due to be moved from 15 August from Gihinga camp, are mostly members of the Banyamulenge ethnic group, most of whom survived a massacre on 13 August 2004 at Gatumba camp, northwest of Bujumbura. More than 150 refugees were killed when armed groups attacked the camp.
Ntwari said an extension of the Bwagiriza camp in Ruyigi would accommodate the refugees from Gihinga. Built on 60ha, the camp can host up to 9,000 refugees.
Clémentine Awu Nkweta-Salami, the UNHCR representative in Burundi, said in a statement issued on 28 July that the move “falls in the framework of implementation of a recommendation by Burundi government, donors and the UNHCR to consolidate refugee camps on the national territory for operational and budgetary reasons.
 It is the government which decides on the place where to settle asylum seekers and refugees; everything will be put in place for a peaceful cohabitation within the camp |
The agency urged the refugees in Gihinga to register for the transfer to Bwagiriza before the start of the school year in September.
However, some refugees expressed concern over the impending transfer, saying they feared a recurrence of the Gatumba massacre.
"It is sad news for us; the camp [Gihinga] was built against our own will," Freddy Gakunzi, Gihinga camp leader said. "We now fear to move to Bwagiriza [which is] close to Tanzania, a country harbouring the Babembe [a Congolese ethnic group], our enemies."
Gakunzi claimed the Babembe were still holding some Banyamulenge hostage.
While admitting that it was often difficult to leave a place one had become used to, Ntwari said: "It is the government which decides on the place where to settle asylum seekers and refugees; everything will be put in place for a peaceful cohabitation within the camp."
Burundi hosts at least 29,000 refugees, mostly Congolese, in four camps and in urban centres.
bn-jb/js/mw
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