UNHCR Initiates Resettlement of Congolese Refugees in Burundi

Kaburantwa, Burundi, Feb 24 (NationPress) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has initiated the resettlement process for individuals fleeing from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to Burundi.

Over 1,000 DRC refugees, who had been temporarily accommodated at Kaburantwa Catholic Parish in the Buganda district of Cibitoke province in northwestern Burundi, boarded buses heading to the Musenyi refugee site located in the Giharo district of Rutana province in southeastern Burundi.

"We are extremely grateful to be in a more secure location here in Burundi. We are also optimistic that the UNHCR will relocate us to another area that we believe will be even better," shared Chantal Nabitu, one of the Congolese refugees, as she prepared to board a bus.

"We hope that our children will be able to return to school. The situation is dire due to the conflict in the North and South Kivu provinces in eastern DRC," she expressed, extending her gratitude to the UNHCR and the Burundian authorities for their assistance.

Brigitte Mukanga-Eno, the UNHCR representative in Burundi, visited Kaburantwa and confirmed that DRC refugees are being moved to camps and sites significantly distanced from the border, in line with international guidelines.

"We must adhere to international norms, which is why we are relocating them far from the border," she remarked.

"At the Musenyi refugee site, they will have access to clean water, and the World Food Programme (WFP) has arranged food supplies for the upcoming two weeks," she stated.

However, Mukanga-Eno noted that both the UNHCR and the WFP will require additional support from partners to sustain food provisions for the refugees beyond the initial two weeks.

She added that children would have the opportunity to resume their education at the refugee site, according to reports from the Xinhua news agency.

Following her visit to Kaburantwa, Mukanga-Eno also toured the Rugombo stadium, which currently accommodates over 30,000 DRC asylum seekers in the Rugombo district of northwestern Burundi.

The relocation of these refugees to designated sites in the provinces of Mwaro in central Burundi and Rutana in southeastern Burundi is set to commence on Monday.

On February 19, Burundian Interior, Community Development, and Public Security Minister Martin Niteretse announced that the country had welcomed more than 40,000 DRC asylum seekers, urging for both "national and international solidarity to bolster efforts aimed at aiding them and effectively addressing this humanitarian crisis."

Asylum seekers from the DRC also include members of the defense and security forces, as mentioned by the minister.

Niteretse highlighted that the influx of new arrivals from the DRC has significantly increased since February 14.