The last camp of Rwandan and Burundian refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will be closed next month after the upcoming transfer and integration of some 1,500 Rwandans and Burundians on farmland allocated by local authorities. At a press briefing in Geneva on Tuesday, UNHCR spokesperson Delphine Marie said that the agency was making final preparations for the move from the three-year old camp in Mbuji Mayi in eastern Kasai province, to villages about 130 km south of the city. Marie said the transfer by truck and rail of the 1,200 Rwandans and 300 Burundians will begin by the end of July and should be completed before the beginning of the next planting season in mid-August. The group will receive farming tools, basic relief items and a one-off three-month food ration. Kasai’s provincial governor and traditional chief have allocated land in four villages in the Mwene Ditu area, and UNHCR will give support to schools and health centres in the receiving communities.
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