Refugees repatriation: Burundian Leaders made a “Step in the Right Direction”
As bilateral ties between Rwanda and Burundi continue to warm up, on 19 December 2022 a delegation of Burundian officials arrived Rwanda in a two-day mission to encourage refugees to go back home following the return of peace and a return to normalcy in relations between the two neighbors.
The delegation of Burundian officials have encouraged Burundian refugees to return home, saying the country is safer than they left it seven years ago.
The Analysts said that first direct engagement since 2015 was 'a step in the right direction.'
"Some of the concerns are because the refugees do not see the situation on the ground and sometimes they may get misleading information," said Dr Isamel Buchanan .
He pointed out issues such as reported arrests of some of the returning Burundians, the issue of people whose properties were looted or confiscated during the 2015 unrest should be settled.
"Engaging the refugees is a commendable initiative. What makes the refugees return to their country is when the leaders show them that their cause of exile is not there anymore or that measures have been put in place to solve the issues," Said Akayezu Jean de Dieu
Some of Burundian refugees via interviews and phone call appreciated the initiative of the current Burundi president Evariste Ndayishimiye.
At least, the new president has the political will to restore normalcy in the country, which can lead to our repatriation," Patrice Ntadohoka, the committee president of urban refugees in Rwanda, said.
"First, we thank Rwanda for hosting us for the last seven to eight years. Second, we appreciate the visit by Burundian authorities. We have requested them to solve the security issues and when they have been addressed no one will have to remind us to return," said Jean Bosco Ukwibishatse, the representative of Burundian refugees in Mahama camp.
According to the Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA), over 30,000 refugees have returned to Burundi since 2020, at the facilitation the Rwandan government and UN refugee agency. Some 50,000 refugees still live in Rwanda, most of them in the Mahama refugee camp.