UN agency moves Congolese refugees from Bujumbura

The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, has moved the first 67 Congolese refugees from the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, to a camp in the southeastern province of Rutana where they will benefit from the agency's assistance. Another 85 would be moved next week to the Gasorwe Transit Camp in the northeastern province of Muyinga, the agency's public relations officers, Catherine-Lune Grayson, said on Friday in Bujumbura. The UNHCR said on Wednesday that most of these refugees arrived in Bujumbura in late 2005 from South Kivu in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, fleeing persisting insecurity in their homes. They had been living in Bujumbura since their arrival but had expressed their wish to be moved to a camp so that they could benefit from UNHCR aid. Since December 2005, the refugees had been organising frequent sit-ins before the UNHCR offices in Bujumbura to demand the agency's help. The UNHCR representative in Burundi, Neyaga-Kaba Guichard, had at the time instructed the refugees to go to government-designated camps in order to get aid. However, the refugees had refused to go to such camps, claiming their security was not guaranteed. Some had been camping near the agency's offices until Wednesday when they were moved to Giharo. The Giharo Refugee Camp was already hosting 50 Rwandans who were recently transferred from Ngozi Province in the north of Burundi. It was the first group of Rwandan asylum seekers who the Burundian government granted refugee status. Rutana Governor Marceline Bararufise said on local radio on Thursday that the cohabitation of the Rwandan and Congolese refugees would be difficult, as they have "nothing in common not even the language". Bararufise also said local authorities would not be able to control the movement of the refugees as the camp was unfenced. Burundi hosts some 30,000 Congolese refugees, with at least 11,000 in UNHCR-managed camps; 7,800 at Gasorwe in Muyinga and 2,500 Congolese Tutsis, known as Banyamulenge, at Gihinga Camp in Mwaro Province.