PRESS RELEASE n. 49
The wanton arrests and harassment of rwandese refugees in Kibumba camp and very soon in Kashusha has far gone beyond what any reasonable person can call voluntary repatriation. It is not even a forced repatriation it is a violent one.
These harassment seems to have been sanctioned if not ordered by UNHCR, whose mandate is ironically to protect the refugees.
After all the psychological torture and misinformation failed to trigger off a significant repatriation, UNHCR has resorted now to blackmailing refugee leaders by threatening to arrest anybody who dares speak against this forced repatriation.
Today, refugees are told to shut up and accept to be tossed up and down like balls. This is totally unacceptable.
Rwandese refugees like any other refugee worldwide have a right to be informed of the prevailing security situation in their country. They have a right to be told their obligations and rights, to be represented by somebody whom they trust.
UNHCR having failed to live up to the expectation and do their task, refugee leaders and other opinion leaders in camps are duty bound to fill the gap and inform their fellow countrymen of all the chalenges and facilities ahead of them , so that they can make up their mind properly.
This in no way intimidation nor engaging in politics. It is not even a duty of any particular organisation alone, it is the responsibility of each and every intellectual in the camp and failing to do so would be betraying the nation that paid for one's education.
Being a refugee is indeed giving up some privileges, but it does not mean losing all one's dignity. Reducing them to total silence is therefore the highest form of intimidation and should be condemned.
Intimidators are not in camps, they are within the Kigali government and if ever pressure was unavoidable, it should be exerted there and not on poor and weak refugees.
For RDR
Mr Chris Nzabandora
Director of Information