Reconciliation of Refugees Returning from Exile.

1. Context

Following the 2020 peaceful election in Burundi, Innovations in Peacemaking Burundi (IPB) with GlobalGiving fund launched a new project aiming at the reconciliation of refugees returning in their community since September 2020.  This was influenced by the fact that Refugees themselves living Mahama Camp wrote a letter to the Burundi new President of Republic claiming for their coming back in their home land. Since then, those from Tanzania doubled the number that was coming back before. The new President of the Republic responded positively to that demand which coincided with the government wish. He urged also those living the East Africa Community and the rest of the world to come back. Without much waiting, those living in Uganda, Kenya, Zambia and RD Congo declared their wish to return home. Refugees came back massively and are in need of effective reintegration in their native community 

Performed activity

On May 29, 2021 IPB in collaboration with TWEGERANE Association organized a meeting to reconcile the returnees from Mahama Camp in Rwanda and Nduta refugee Camp in Tanzania and their community of origin. This meeting held in Kirundo province met together forty participants (40) including twenty representatives (20) of returnees from Bwambarangwe, Gitobe, Busoni and Bugabira communes and twenty (20) representatives of the local administration, civil society and representatives of returnees’ communities of origin.

 The counselor of the provincial governor was there to open the meeting and three (3) journalists to broadcast the activity outcome at its end and take interviews.

All of them congratulated the organization of this meeting promoting social cohesion and reconciliation between returnees and their communities of origin.

Appreciations

Both returnees and those who remained within the country appreciated the meeting which reinforces peaceful relations between the two groups. They both recognized that many things need to be done to uphold the daily life of returnees. They underlined their lack of health care means, shelters for some, food to connect their arrival period and that of harvesting what they cultivated and raised. A considerable number of them need psychological assistance first.

Key stories success

 One of the returnees said: “before taking refuge in Mahama Camp in Rwanda, I thought I could come back three months after.  The situation continued to be tough and worse in Burundi until the 2020 peaceful election. This peaceful election created in me and my family confidence to come back. We appreciate this meeting of reconciliation which becomes a follow up of our reintegration”. 

A second one said: I have been traumatized by the life in Nduta refugee’s Camp due to lack of enough fire wood for cooking, we were obliged to leave the camp in secret to look for fire wood out of the camp. Some time we were apprehended by security agents and be punished by them”.

A third one said: You never think about a promising future once you are in a refugee camp. You get the same kind of food in unsatisfied quantity. Children asking you daily what will be the end. I’m glad to have returned home and find people having mercy to us and some trying to help so that we should adjust our daily life”.  

Conclusion

IPB is proud of GlobalGiving contribution for the effective social cohesion in Burundi in general.

Elaborated by Elie Nahimana

Project leader