Burundi: Happy New Year anyway (part seven)
(Report on the rights of refugees)
The year 2020 has been too hard for Burundian refugees in general and for those in Tanzania in particular. Indeed, this country has gone beyond the limits of what is acceptable in the violations of the rights of Burundian refugees on its territory, in collaboration with the power of Gitega and under the complicity of the UNHCR.
Let’s start exactly with this country which was the first to mistreat Burundian refugees. It is difficult to recount the sufferings inflicted on them by the power of Mgafuli in collaboration with the intelligence services of Burundi. In general, remember that by wanting to force them to return to Burundi to make people believe that peace is total, all evils were permitted. Some have been arrested, imprisoned, tortured and killed; others were arrested, killed and thrown into the Maragarazi or handed over to the Burundian SNR; others are still languishing in Tanzanian prisons; the last of the sufferings is preventing them from all activities that could provide them with a food supplement when the ration was becoming increasingly insufficient. At the end, they reduced the ration to increase the return package in order to force those who resist to return. The homes of those returning are directly destroyed, and the refugees from the 3 remaining camps are being regrouped into one camp; a way to control and further mistreat those they consider to be recalcitrant.
Here are some facts that hurt your heart:
An imbonerakure named Peter Ndayishimiye, known as an SNR agent in Muyinga, was arrested by Tanzanian police at Nduta refugee camp with a bag of flour containing two grenades dated October 22, 2020. However, he was released and returned after failing to disrupt refugee security
To further intimidate the refugees, on December 9, 2020, a pickup vehicle dragging two bodies of unknown people drove past the Nyarugusu refugee camp. The vehicle belongs to a man known by the pseudonym Rasi known for his acts of violating the rights of refugees. The corpses are believed to be those of the refugees imprisoned at Makele prison.
Associations that fight against violations of the rights of refugees have decried the arrest and handing over of refugees to the Burundian authorities. Rwasa Saidi, cimpaye Felix and Ndayishimiye Vocatus were found in Muramvya prison; Nkunzimana Anaclet, Ndayizeye Radjabu and Kazimana Emmanuel were in Bubanza prison. They had been kidnapped the night of July 22 to 23, 2020 at Camp Mutenderi by the Tanzanian police.
Illustrative cases of these violations of refugee rights are legion in Tanzania. We cannot name them all. Rather, Tanzania must prepare to assume the responsibilities one day.
In the case of Burundian refugees in DR Congo, there too, the power of Gitega infiltrated the camps to push people to return. He sends Burundians there who pass themselves off as refugees when they are his agents. Initially, these people have the role of informing the SNR about everything that is done there, eliminating those who show opposition to power; secondly, when the government decides to bring them back, they are the first to register to make all the refugees believe that there is total peace in the country. 42 Burundian refugees left Murongwe camp on August 2, 2020 to return to the country without any procedure, they were intercepted and returned to the camp by the Congolese security forces. While it is true that these refugees could spend 5 months without assistance, returning to the country follows some administrative procedures of the host country, UNHCR and the country of origin. Finally, the first round of repatriation of refugees from Kavimvira in DRC took place on October 7, 2020 with 312 refugees.
The case of Uganda is cut and paste from Rwanda. People were sent by the power of Gitega to these countries to monitor the actions of the real refugees, and when the time came, they began to write letters to President Ndayishimiye in violation of any procedure to show that they need to return home. Anicet Niyonkuru also played a big role in sensitizing these refugees in Uganda and Rwanda so that they return to participate in the May 2020 elections. This traitor was posing as a political opponent while he was driving for cnddfdd power since a long time when he was still secretary general at CNARED; he received a post of permanent secretary in a ministry as a sign of thanks. The first round of repatriation therefore took place on August 27, 2020 for the refugees from Mahama in Rwanda, while the first refugees from Nakival camp in Uganda were repatriated on December 14, 2020.
URN HITAMWONEZA has always cried out to point out to Burundian refugees that Gitega’s power seeks to bring people in, not because there is total security as he kept chanting, but because he wants to deceive the opinion that the security reigns, that even the refugees have returned. However, those who arrived from Mahama are still being watched by the imbonerakure. MP Remy Bigirumusase from Kirundo and the entire administration have held meetings to say that the returnees from Mahama are fighters, dangerous people to watch. A certain Eric, member of the CNL, from Gatete hill, Gasare zone in Busoni commune in Kirundo, repatriated in the 3rd round, was kidnapped at his home after only two days. He would already be killed. We always advise people to return when their safety is guaranteed, otherwise UNHCR and host governments are called upon to uphold the rights of refugees and those who cannot, in collaboration with UNHCR, find them a home. other host country. Failure to do so also exposes them to possible sanctions when the time comes.