A fresh group of some 159 Rwandan refugees living in Rwanda nda returned home on Tuesday on a voluntary basis facilitated by the governments of the two countries and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an official told APA in Kigali.
The Rwanda UNHCR official confirmed the convoy of buses carrying the refugees who were initially hosted at the Mahama Refugee Camp in Southeastern Rwanda crossed into Burundi earlier Tuesday.
The UNHCR will then transport the returnees to their homes and the government of Burundi would take care of them from the moment they join their villages of origin.
The move comes after an appeal of more than 330 Burundian refugees in Mahama camp (Eastern Rwanda) who petitioned Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye seeking a dignified and lawful return to their home country.
The petition letter also stressed that these refugees fled because of the political crisis and insecurity stemming mainly from Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid to serve a controversial third term in 2015.
According to UNHCR figures, by the end of June 2020, there were more than 430,000 Burundian refugees scattered in the region.
Tanzania hosts the highest number with 164,87, DR Congo hosts 103,690, Rwanda 72,007, Uganda 48,275, Kenya 13,800, Mozambique 7,800, Malawi 8,300, South Africa 9,200 and Zambia is home to 6,000.
Mahama Refugee Camp located in Kirehe District in the Eastern Province has become the country’s largest camp – hosting Burundian refugees since the emergency. It has a population of around 60,000 refugees.
CU/abj/APA