The Rwandan government said Monday it has disbanded the refugees’ executive committee at Kiziba Refugee Camp in western Rwanda to normalize the situation in the camp following its recent unrest.
Preliminary findings have established that the executive committee was largely to blame for the unrest in the camp hosting refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Karongi district, said a government statement.
It has been mobilizing refugees to revolt against government officials and partner institutions, denying them access to the camp and causing disorder among the refugees, said the statement.
Monday’s announcement follows local media reports saying the Rwandan police increased its presence around Kiziba refugee camp last week. Police Spokesperson Theos Badege then said it was regular patrol.
Due to a commotion initiated by a few youth who hindered the police patrol from proceeding into the camp, humanitarian activities had been suspended last Monday before it resumed a day later, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told local media.
Humanitarian operations in Rwanda remain “severely underfunded,” forcing the World Food Program (WFP) to cut food rations for refugees by 10 percent in November 2017 and by 25 percent in January 2018, according to UNHCR.
UNHCR’s 2018 appeal for 98.8 million U.S. dollars to support refugees in Rwanda is “only 2 percent funded”, the UN refugee agency said in February.
In February, five people were killed and 22 others wounded as protests over reduced food rations by refugees from the Kiziba refugee camp turned violent, according to the police. But Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo said in March protests were caused by different purposes.
The refugees were not only protesting the reduced food rations — some also wanted to return to home country or to be resettled in Europe and America while maintaining Rwandan citizenship, she said.
