Interview with UNHCR representative in Burundi

The following IRIN interview took place in Bujumbura on 8 April with Stefano Severe, the head of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Burundi. On 28 March, UNHCR began the repatriation of Burundi refugees, living in camps in western Tanzania, as part of a tripartite agreement between the UN agency and the governments of both countries. As of 4 April, almost 900 refugees had been repatriated, with over 50,000 refugees signed up with UNHCR for future transfer. The agency hopes to continue the process at a rate of 500 per week to the northern provinces of the country, where the security situation is deemed safe enough for returnees. QUESTION: UNHCR is not promoting the repatriation of Burundi refugees from Tanzania, but is assisting them with their return. At the same time, some nongovernmental organisations are actively discouraging the repatriation process. How does UNHCR view this? ANSWER: First of all, it is very correct to say that we are not promoting the process. What we are saying today is that conditions in Burundi are not conducive to a return. However, there are a number of Burundi refugees who wish to return, and there are also some areas in the country that have experienced a quiet situation for several years, like the northern provinces. So there are areas where people can go back to, which are relatively safe. What we are saying at this stage is that we will accompany those who wish to go home, provided that they do so voluntarily, and that they do so in an informed manner. In order to make sure they are informed, the refugees are being given information in writing, which clearly states that there are areas in Burundi that are not safe yet, and that some of them may end up in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs). Therefore we do not encourage any return to such areas. Q: How are the newly repatriated refugees going to mix with the thousands of IDPs who have not been assisted by UNHCR? Are you expecting tension between the two groups? A: Firstly, I don't think we can put all the IDPs in the same category: there are old caseloads of IDPs, there are temporarily displaced persons, and then there are other particular situations that prevail in and around the capital. UNHCR in collaboration with other UN agencies, notably the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which is the leading agency for IDPs, is constantly looking at this question. UNHCR has agreed to start some assistance programmes for IDPs in the provinces where there is high return of refugees so that precisely those fears you have expressed can be mitigated. Obviously there will have to be some programmes for the IDPs, because they are also very deprived and they suffer from the same poor conditions. Q: Some people believe that the refugees who have registered in Tanzania for repatriation did so because they feared they would be expelled by the Tanzanian government. Do you share that view? A: Indeed that is what we hear from some refugees and some agencies that have made themselves spokespersons for the refugees. However, that is why we have the tripartite process. And I think in the last tripartite meeting [among Burundi, Tanzania and UNHCR], UNHCR's position was made clear once again: that we will not endorse forceful return, and that this process has to be voluntary. As far as we are concerned, those refugees who have come forward so far have done so on their own free will. Q: There are concerns among the Banyamulenge refugees [Congolese Tutsis] here in Burundi that UNHCR is about to transfer them to the northeast of the country. Is this correct? A: The government has approved the concept of establishing a single site for refugees in Burundi, and we would like to thank it and call on it to maintain an open-door policy throughout Burundi's crisis. But this site is for all refugees. It is true that the main body of them are of Congolese origin. One group is [composed of] Banyamulenge and the other one of Congolese origin from different regions. All of these refugees will be transferred to the site - that is, all those who require permanent assistance. The number that we are assisting today is about 6,700. Q: Some of the Banyamulenge are reported to be reluctant to go. What will happen to them? A: They will go of their free choice. The only thing that we have decided with the government is that no assistance programme will be offered outside this camp. So, if one or other of the refugees opts to stay where they are, they will have to do so with their own means. Of course, they will continue to benefit from the right to protection both from the government and UNHCR. Our aim is to make this camp a model camp, a camp that caters for the basic needs of refugees, including education for children, health for everyone, some skill training for youth, as well as offering them sufficient space to have a dignified life. In terms of education, we will cater initially for the Congolese curriculum. Q: Was the decision to locate them in the north a UNHCR decision, or was it the result of political pressure? A: There was no pressure whatsoever. We explored with the government a number of possibilities where we could find - as you know Burundi has constraints in terms of availability of free land, it also has security problems - a place where we would have both sufficient space and adequate security. A number of options were looked at, and it was jointly agreed that the best option was the one that we have chosen. Also because we already have an established office in the vicinity of that location.