April 1^st 1996

PRESS RELEASE Nº60

While rwandese refugees are still awaiting the much publicised Tunis video tapes, the noose is tightening around their camps, with a view of either prompting a massive return or sparking off tensions that would be used as an excuse for exceptional measures against refugees.

In Zaire, all educational infrastructures, including nurseries and primary education have been closed down.

In the camps of Nyangezi, an NGO, GOAL IRLANDE, has even physically destroyed some of them as if to prove its over zeal.

In northern Kivu, some health facilities have equally been closed in the camps of Mugunga and Kibumba, without arousing the slightest indignation from human rights organisations.

Other health facilities which did not close down are trying by all means to get rid of all rwandese staff. In Mugunga for instance, some NGO^s have introduced a test (mind you after nearly two years of service ) for all rwandese para-medics, while their colleagues from others countries are exempted.

This has resulted in a paralysis of services to the expenses of patients who used to find in those fellow refugees a source of comfort.

Furthermore, despite the closure of all kinds of trade within the perimeters of the camps, refugees are not allowed to go to the near by town of Goma to buy essential commodities under the false pretence that UNHCR provide them.

Meanwhile, refugees arrested some time back under the bogus charge of being "intimidators" are still languishing in jail without any hope of being given a chance to plead their case in courts of law.

In Tanzania, the unhuman practice of deporting refugees is still going on. Indeed, on......., 4 young refugees from the camps of Ngara,were handed over to RPF at the border post of Rusumo and their whereabout is still a mystery. Those poor fellows had been arrested under the excuse of illegally moving out of camp, yet, they had valid movement permits, issued by an official of the local administration.

In Burundi, rwandese refugees are victim of the cross-fire between the CNDD rebellion and Burundi army. The army is tirelessly accusing refugees of sympathising with the rebellion, although no evidence has been adduced so far.

As if this was not enough nerve breaking measures, wild lists of so-called "intimidators" are circulating in all those countries, and some foreign RPF allies cycles are even advocating for the extension of those lists to even people living outside the camps.

One after the other, Amnesty International, the UN High commission for Human Rights, the UN committee for the Elimination of Discrimination in its session of march 1996, NGO^s such as "Orphelins du Rwanda ", as well as more recently the Vatican , have all agreed that a massive return of refugees was highly risky under the prevailing situation in Rwanda.

Besides, if there was no problem of security in Rwanda, what is the purpose of the curfew imposed on the northern part of the country? What about the insurgency measures taken in the districts of Gikongoro, Cyangugu and Kibuye? What about the almost daily explosions rocking the country?

Given that the real obstacles to the return of refugees are in Rwanda and not in the camps, it is our hope that the UNHCR will rise above political interests of some of its sponsors and

defend refugees instead of siding with the oppressor.

More specifically, there should be no discrepancy between the mood in Geneva and UNHCR field staff who seem to be more concerned about the safety of their jobs.

For RDR

Chris Nzabandora

Director of Information