Burundians who took refuge in Rwanda after fleeing the violence in their country fear that Rwandese government’s plan to relocate them to other countries could jeopardize their safety.
Rwanda’s plan to relocate the refugees comes amid accusations that Kigali is meddling in the affairs of its troubled neighbour.
Burundi has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing rebels intent on overthrowing the government in Bujumbura. Kigali has fiercely denied the accusations.
The United States has also accused Rwanda of involvement in “destabilising activities” in Burundi.
“There are credible reports of recruitment of Burundian refugees out of camps in Rwanda to participate in armed attacks by Burundian armed opposition against the Burundian government,” Thomas Perriello, US envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa, said Wednesday.
UN experts also told the Security Council last week that Rwanda had recruited and trained refugees from Burundi, among them children, who wanted to remove Burundi’s Nkurunziza from power.
Rwanda’s relocation announcement came out of the blue on Friday, even taking the UN refugee agency by surprise.
“The government of Rwanda… will immediately begin working with partners in the international community to plan the orderly and safe relocation of Burundian refugees to third countries,” the government said in a statement.
Reacting to the plan UNHCR said it was “concerned”, saying it “seems to undermine the precedent of refugee protection Rwanda has set over decades.”
Neighbouring nations already host thousands of Burundian refugees in overstretched camps, with Tanzania hosting some 130 000 and the Democratic Republic of Congo over 18 000. Uganda, which borders Rwanda to the north, has 21 000.
UNHCR spokeswoman in Rwanda, Martina Pomeroy, said she feared possible tensions between the Rwandan population and the refugees.
Most of the refugees are “living in families or the community where they have been dependent on the generosity and goodwill of Rwandans hosting them”, she said.
“So what can happen if the population thinks that refugees have become undesirable for the government?” she added.
